The Formaldehyde Myth: What the 'Vaping Produces Formaldehyde' Studies Actually Showed
The 2015 letter reporting that vaping produces formaldehyde at levels exceeding cigarettes became a media sensation. The study used unrealistic conditions—'dry puff' at extreme voltages. The formaldehyde myth distorted risk perception for years.
In 2015, a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine reported that a vaping device produced formaldehyde at levels exceeding cigarettes. The finding went viral. What was barely reported: the device was operated at 5 volts—producing a 'dry puff' that no human vaper would tolerate. At normal operating conditions, formaldehyde levels were dramatically lower. **The formaldehyde myth—that vaping produces carcinogens at cigarette-like levels—persists despite being based on unrealistic laboratory conditions. It's a case study in how preliminary science, amplified by media, can create durable misperceptions.**
