Dad says he ‘ended’ his youngest son’s health problems after making one small change at home: ‘[It] offers zero benefit’

The national debate over home gas stoves has reached a fever pitch, with advocates praising their cooking precision and critics decrying their negative health effects. With more Americans than ever before debating the costs and benefits, many have begun sharing their own gas stove abandonment stories on social media.

The writer Jamelle Bouie is one person who went through that questioning – and comes out the other side praising the benefits of an induction stove over those that work with gas. Bouie, a father, says the decision to switch had a big effect on his son’s health.

Bouie posted a TikTok explaining his reasoning, in which he says that “there is a lot of evidence going back many decades that gas stoves produce indoor pollution levels that would be considered very dangerous if experienced outdoors.”

“I’m not here to tell you you can’t have a gas stove,” adds Bouie, noting that he and his family bought an induction range in 2022 and have already seen the benefits.

“My son had pre-asthma,” Bouie continues, “and removing the gas stove from our home pretty much eliminated any respiratory problems he had.”

Research now shows that gas stoves are a major contributor to childhood asthma cases because they release dangerous chemicals such as nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde. According to the California Air Resources Board, “Natural gas and propane stoves can release carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and other harmful pollutants into the air, which can be toxic to people and pets.”

Induction stoves are an excellent alternative that can eliminate many of the problems with gas stoves. They are also lightning fast, easy to clean, and generally cheaper than their gas counterparts. Bouie says his induction range “cooks as good as gas,” and he found a lot of support for his change from fellow TikTokers who commented on the video.

“We switched to an induction stove a few months ago,” writes one user. “I like it better than gas, it heats up cast iron quickly and boils water very quickly.”

“Induction is better by every metric,” writes another. “Gas offers zero benefit.”

Other commenters lamented that they lived in rented houses and did not have the power to replace their gas stoves. “I was getting rid of the stove,” writes one, “but I’m in an apartment.”

“Tenants need recourse,” writes another commenter. “It’s not like we can legally replace them ourselves.”

Join our free newsletter for easy tips save more, less wasteand help yourself while helping the planet.