Portland State E-Cigarette Claims Debunked in the New York Times

New York Times op ed columnist Joe Nocera today knocks Portland State University researchers’ claims that e-cigarettes produce higher levels of formaldehyde than cigarettes (here) – bogus findings that I slammed last week (here).

Lead author of the research paper, Dr. David Peyton, told Nocera that his study had been mischaracterized: “It is exceedingly frustrating to me that we are being associated with saying that e-cigarettes are more dangerous than cigarettes. That fact is not in evidence.”

What is not in evidence is the researchers’ credibility.  On January 22, Dr. Peyton was quoted in his university’s press release: “Our research shows that when heated at higher temperatures, e-cigarette juices can vaporize and form large amounts of ‘hidden formaldehyde,’ five to 15 times higher than the amount of formaldehyde in traditional cigarettes (here)”

Kudos to columnist Nocera.