E-Cig Use Among Youth on Rise; Will Tobacco Be Next?

Our nation’s youth may be aware of the dangers of tobacco (currently less than 10 percent smoke traditional cigarettes), however, a New York smoking cessation expert said the release of today’s CDC report shows that young people perceive other nicotine-containing products as less harmful - a mistake that could be fatal.

“The safety and efficacy of electronic cigarettes have yet to be demonstrated,” said Pat Folan, RN, director of North Shore-LIJ Health System’s Center for Tobacco Control. The CDC said 13.4 percent of high school students use e- cigarettes (up from 4.5% last year) and 9.4% are smoking hookahs:http://www.tma.org/tmalive/Html/Advertisements/Reference_88_CDC_Fact_Sheet_moking_and_Tobacco_Use_Hookahs.pdf). That increase should be cause for concern.

“While electronic products and hookahs may have fewer chemicals than tobacco products, they do have ingredients that cause harm, such as nitrosamines and diethylene glycol,” Ms. Folan explained. “Flavoring these products appeal to youngsters and pose a toxic threat to the respiratory system.” She said there are nearly 8,000 unique e-cigarette flavors.

“The use of e-cigarettes can be a gateway to regular cigarettes,” Ms. Folan said citing previous research which found that children who use e-cigarettes are twice as likely to express intention to smoke regular cigarettes (CDC, 2013 from the National Youth Tobacco Survey,http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/youth-intentions/index.htm).

To help stop the threat, Ms. Folan advocates the adoption of proposed regulations to:

• Prohibit the sale of flavored nicotine solutions
• Prohibit the marketing of e-cigarettes, particularly the targeting of children
• Restrict their use wherever regular cigarette smoking is not permitted.
• Mandate safety packaging for e-nicotine liquids. There has been an increase in nicotine poisonings among children since the introduction of these e-liquids