E-cigarettes, those battery-powered nicotine delivery systems that produce heated vapor instead of smoke and which lack FDA approval, now also lack the approval of Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. In the wake of a recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analysis finding cancer-causing chemicals and an antifreeze ingredient in some of the devices, Blumenthal issued a warning urging consumers and retailers to avoid e-cigarettes.

FDA researchers found nicotine in e-cigarette cartridges marked nicotine-free as well as nitrosamine (carcinogen) and diethylene glycol (antifreeze ingredient). Blumenthal says e-cigarettes falsely claim to deliver nicotine without the health risks of smoking.

“Despite their fancy hype and alluring flavors (mint and candy), these products deliver carcinogens in a cartridge,” Blumenthal said. “These battery powered devices give consumers no clue that they are inhaling toxic and cancer-causing chemicals, as well as luring children into nicotine addiction. Far from providing a safe alternative to smoking, e-cigarettes pose a serious public health risk.”

E-cigarette manufacturers have filed a lawsuit fighting the FDA review, claiming no need to protect public health. The products are available online, or at malls, throughout the United States, but not Connecticut.