E-cigarette vapor may be less toxic than cigarettes, study says

Secondhand vapor created by one brand of electronic cigarette harbors fewer hazardous chemicals than regular cigarette smoke, although the researchers report the finding doesn't leave e-cigarettes in the clear.

The study has caveats. For one, it doesn't examine which hazardous chemicals in e-cig vapor actually make it into the lungs of people nearby. And the scientists looked only at indoor smoking, which is often banned in the United States.

Still, the findings indicate that "generally speaking, e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes," said study author Arian Saffari, a fellow with the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California. "We can still find some hazardous material in e-cigarette smoke," Saffari noted. "And therefore we cannot leave e-cigarettes unregulated."

The study was published online in the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. -- HealthDay