As more people become aware of the dangers of gas stoves, one eco-influencer shared a clip on Instagram about how the gas industry has known the toxic impacts of their product for decades. 

Instagrammer ecophonia (@ecophonia.pod) explained how Big Gas has used misleading advertising since the early 1900s to convince customers that gas stoves are not only safe to cook on, but also better than electric versions at doing so. 

However, she debunked these claims and revealed the decades-long ad campaigns that have deceived millions into buying gas ranges. 

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"This is actively poisoning you, and Big Gas had to use the same tactics as Big Tobacco to get you to buy it," she says over the gas stove in her apartment. 

Ecophonia explained that in the early 1900s, the gas industry struggled to compete with the rapidly flourishing electric sector. In 1918, the American Gas Association was founded and began marketing its stoves primarily to housewives, using catchy slogans to persuade them that using gas could enhance their cooking and provide "freedom." 

In the late 1930s, "cooking with gas" became the new catchphrase, appearing in popular radio programs such as The Bob Hope Show. 

But in the 1970s, the truth started coming out about the previously hidden dangers of cooking with gas. Rather than providing freedom, gas stoves promote numerous health problems and contribute to rising global temperatures because of the potent gases they release, including methane and carbon dioxide. 

According to a study by the American Public Health Association, cooking with gas stoves without proper ventilation can result in exposure to unsafe levels of nitrogen dioxide, which can be even higher than the levels deemed safe for outdoor air quality by the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Gas stoves also emit benzene and other volatile organic compounds, all of which can increase the risk of asthma, cancer, and other serious illnesses, per Harvard Health Publishing. 

Research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that nearly 13% of childhood asthma cases are associated with the use of gas stoves.

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Toxic compounds released during cooking, and even when stoves are turned off, worsen indoor air quality and add heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere, which contribute to the warming climate. 

But even after realizing the damaging effects of gas stoves, the industry swept the evidence under the rug and hired researchers who had accepted funding from the tobacco industry to publish studies promoting gas, per NPR.

In addition to not producing any direct air pollution, induction stoves are superior to both gas and electric because they cook faster and are more energy-efficient, easier to clean, and safer if you have children or pets, since they only produce heat when a pan is detected (the heat comes from a magnetic field under the surface that heats cookware directly). 

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, you can save $840 on qualifying induction stoves, making them an affordable, eco-friendly alternative to gas. However, with many tax breaks and discounts on clean tech set to expire at the end of 2025, it's a good idea to check what's available and act sooner rather than later to access hundreds of dollars in savings. 

If you're a renter or don't want to invest in a full-range model, you can still reap the benefits with a plug-in countertop version that works just as well and can cost as little as $50 for some models. 

Some Instagram users agreed with Ecophonia and attested to the many benefits offered by switching to induction stoves.

"Induction stoves are awesome," one said. "Far and away much better than gas or conventional electric." 

"I recently got induction for the first time and it's actually phenomenal," another shared. 

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