E-cigarettes pique interest in Youth

The growing interest in e-cigarettes has had a profound impact on the youth population. A study in the Journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research found that more than 25% of youth who had never smoked in the past used e-cigarettes in 2013. According to the statistics on smoking rates among youth, this represents an increase from 79,000 youth smokers in 2011 to more than 263,000 in 2013.

What’s more staggering is that surveys of these youth indicate higher interests in trying conventional cigarettes after smoking the e-cigarettes. Because of the alarming rise in young e-cigarette users, concerns have cropped up about overall regulation of the e-cigarette market. Right now, only e-cigarettes that are marketed for therapeutic purposes are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

On April 25, the FDA proposed the regulation of all e-cigarettes, lumping them into the same category as other tobacco products. If the ruling goes through, the products would be subject to federal prohibition on sales to minors. Right now, sales can be made to minors unless the product is marketed as a therapeutic treatment. However, certain state and local laws do restrict sales to minors. It is not a federal mandate to do so.

While e-cigarettes have been touted as a “safe” way to smoke, their general make up, as noted in toxicology reports, show otherwise. E-cigarettes contain various cancer-causing agents such as diethylene glycol, a compound found in antifreeze and brake fluid. Diethylene glycol is also a poison as classified by the World Health Organization that can cause kidney damage, nerve dysfunction and respiratory failure. Also contained within the electronic sticks are particles of silver, iron, aluminum and silicate along with traces of tin, chromium and nickel. All of these elements have been known to cause respiratory distress and disease, according to the FDA.

As for the nicotine content, e-cigarettes do contain nicotine, but the delivery mechanism is different than traditional cigarettes because of the filtering mechanism. Regardless, the amount entering the body can be similar to regular filtered cigarettes. Furthermore, the toxicity of the smoke emitted from e-cigarettes (i.e. second-hand smoke) is still being tested.

The numerous unknowns of e-cigarettes have caused many countries in Europe to ban them. In the United States, it appears the objective is more regulation.

Research has indicated that the use of e-cigarettes will likely increase and potentially replace traditional cigarettes. The cost is 5-7 times cheaper than smoking a pack a day. Furthermore, the marketing has touted them to be safer and they are easier to use than regular cigarettes, which require a lighter or matches to get started. Time will tell if they are safer or simply another unhealthy practice.

For overall health, it is wise to not smoke at all – e-cigarettes or traditional ones. For information on smoking cessation, consult your primary care physician. You will be glad you did.

 

Works Used for this Post:

ChangeLab Solutions. (2014). Are e-cigarettes regulated by the FDA? Retrieved from http://changelabsolutions.org/tobacco-control/question/are-e-cigarettes-regulate

Cope, G. (2013). Are e-cigarettes an aid to smoking cessation? Practice Nursing, 24(9), 426-428.

Niaura, R. S., Glynn, T. J., and Abrams, D. B. (2014). Youth experimentation with e-cigarettes. Journal of the American Medical Association, 312(6), 641-642.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2014). Electronic Cigarettes. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm172906.htm