Are gas stoves hazardous for your health? Yes.

No, the federal government is not planning to ban gas stoves. But there is a growing amount of attention being paid to the ways these appliances put our health at risk.

The recent wave of media attention comes on the heels of a study documenting a link between gas stoves and respiratory problems. Researchers found that gas stoves are responsible for more than 12% — 1 in 8 — of childhood asthma cases nationwide, and that gas stoves pose a similar asthma risk to children as secondhand smoke exposure.

That’s why Richard Trumka, Jr., one of the members of the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), said: “This is a hidden hazard.”

“The CPSC doing its job, reviewing the research and data to determine the risk and looking at the available options to make the product safer. And that’s a good thing,” said PIRG Environment Campaigns Director Matt Casale. “But there’s still a lot of work to be done to make sure consumers have all the facts.”