Mercedes owner goes viral by testing vehicle's high-tech air filter using e-cigarettes

It's well known that vaping can have negative health effects, but one viral moment shows just how bad it can be.

Sheldon Shuffield, of Fort Worth, Texas, posted a video to his TikTok account (@thisdadtiktoks) in August for his more than 600,000 followers, which now has more than two million likes and 22 million views.

“Oh my God, I just got a new fancy Mercedes,” he began.

“Would you like proof that vaping is bad for you?”

Shuffield, who previously worked in healthcare, explained in the video that his Mercedes was equipped with a HEPA filter “similar to what's in the operating room.”

The filter is intended to purify the air entering the car to create a healthier environment.

Shuffield's husband took a drag from his vape and blew it onto the floorboards.

As he expelled the light cloud of smoke, the filter's internal number shot through the roof, quickly changing from a “Good” rating of 1 PM2.5 (particulate matter) to an “Unhealthy” rating of 63 to the peak “Very.” Unhealthy” rating of 200 before the car started filtering out the bad air.

“All of you!” Shuffield shouted in response.

“You’re messing this up with your kids in the car!”

“I am so grateful that my car [has] this feature because it just opened my eyes…that was just a little bit of vape smoke in my car.”

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Shuffield claimed that fumes from vehicles on the road have a lower harm rating than e-cigarette smoke.

“I'm shocked that so many people inhale this willy-nilly throughout the day,” he said.

“It just blows my mind.”

In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, a Mercedes spokesperson said the company offers the optional HEPA filter as part of its “Energizing Air Control Plus” feature in the Mercedes EQS and EQE sedan and SUV models.

“This advanced filtration system significantly improves air quality by capturing fine dust, microparticles and pollen and reducing harmful pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides,” the spokesperson noted.

“With a filtering efficiency of over 99.65% for particles as small as PM 0.3, it ensures a clean and safe environment in the vehicle, comparable to clean rooms and operating rooms.”

Theodore Wagener, PhD, director of the Center for Tobacco Research and co-leader of the Cancer Control Program at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, told Fox News Digital that this video is “not surprising at all.”

“The car measures PM2.5 (also known as particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less), which is small enough to reach deep into the lungs,” the expert said.

“While traditional cigarettes…produce a greater amount of harmful chemicals than e-cigarettes, e-cigarettes…should not be considered safe but rather less harmful than cigarettes.”

The benefit of having a HEPA filter in a vehicle, according to Wagener, is that it provides “real-time feedback on the impact of your behavior.”

“This type of information can increase motivation to quit vaping and smoking to improve overall health,” he added.

Shuffield's video proves that “vaping is not harmless,” Wagener said.

“It should only be used as a harm reduction method for cigarette smokers who have been unable to quit smoking with FDA-approved products such as nicotine lozenges and patches,” he said.

“For smokers, switching completely to vaping nicotine will likely provide a health benefit, but the ultimate goal should be to completely stop using nicotine.”

Shuffield and his husband have “cut down” on their vaping habits, he said, as they intend to be good role models for their children – a son, 7, and a daughter, 14.

For people addicted to vaping, Shuffield advises: “Give up smoking and cut it out as much as possible.”

“Don’t let it stick to your hand like a cell phone.”