E-cigarette usage on the rise with younger crowd
Associated Press
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the use of electronic cigarettes more than doubled among middle and high school students in the United States from 2011-12.
Associated Press
Despite studies and marketing campaigns, the jury is still out on whether electronic cigarettes are a safe alternative to tobacco.
There has a been an increase in the usage of electronic cigarettes among teens and young adults, and while some argue they may be a safe alternative to tobacco, others say it’s too early to tell.
According to a recent study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), e-cigarettes as they are commonly called, usage more than doubled among middle and high school students, in the United States, from 2011-12.
“The findings from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, in today’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, show that the percentage of high school students who reported ever using an e-cigarette rose from 4.7 percent in 2011 to 10 percent in 2012,” states the report.
While these statistics reflect a nationwide average, the product remains popular closer to home.
“It (e-cigarettes) is certainly something we are hearing more about from our older teenagers,” said Dr. Jonathan Pletcher, clinical director of the Division of Adolescent Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).
But the question remains whether or not the water vapor technology is a safer alternative for those prone to begin the habit or for those who are looking to kick the smoking habit.
Currently, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do not regulate the usage of e-cigarettes, which are battery-powered and provide tobacco-less nicotine through water vapor.
Initially, the FDA tried to ban e-cigarettes from being identified as “unapproved pharmaceutical products” but was blocked by the courts. The administration is currently working on a plan to regulate e-cigarettes as tobacco products.
E-cigarettes differ from traditional cigarettes in the impact they have on the environment.
“Everything I have seen and heard is that it is water vapor (the smoke-like substance that is released by e-cigarettes),” said Pletcher. “It is odorless and doesn’t leave anything toxic in the environment.”
While e-cigarettes can still deliver doses of nicotine if the smoker chooses, some studies and company marketing tout that they are safer than traditional cigarettes because they are without the harmful chemicals such as carcinogens and other toxic metals.
But Pletcher said it is too early in the development of electronic cigarettes for him to say whether or not he feels they would be a healthier alternative because not enough studies about the long-term effects of the electronic cigarettes have been completed.
“I think (e-cigarettes) pose a different health risk. Whether it is lesser or greater (than traditional cigarettes), it is hard to predict,” said Pletcher.
In September, state Sen. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, called for quick legislative action toward a bill that would ban the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors.
“There is a lot we don’t know about the long-term use of electronic cigarettes,” he said. “Growing use by minors is an alarming trend that must be stopped.”
Pletcher said that it seems that many teenagers are turning toward smoking and using e-cigarettes because of social reasons.
“One way that a lot of teenagers pick up the habit is at an after-school job, being around adults (who smoke),” he said.
While smoking has been a social activity for many years, one particular e-cigarette brand offers the user additional social aspects.
One type of the company’s e-cigarette packages alerts the smoker to nearby retailers that carry that brand and other local smokers using the same type of e-cigarette.
Even though the technology has changed, the practice of parents talking to their teens about smoking has not, and Pletcher encourages those conversations to continue.
Pletcher said that if a child understands the rules of the house, such as no smoking, and they are breaking them, then the parent needs to sit down and talk calmly with them. If the smoking is related to mood changes or stress, then talking to a health professional or counselor might be a viable option.
“Staying connected to your kids and talking about these behaviors with them is really important,” he said.