E-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product among kids, and the health effects can be just as bad as traditional cigarettes, according to a new report from the surgeon general.
The report sought to point out to parents the serious problems with e-cigarettes and the growing use of e-cigarettes among kids. The report mirrors past missives from surgeons general that have addressed the dangers of cigarettes and tobacco products, including a landmark report in 1964 that linked tobacco use to lung cancer and heart disease.
“E-cigarettes went form being rare in 2010 to now being the most common tobacco product used by our nation’s youth,” said Surgeon General Vivek Murthy during a press conference Thursday. “This represents a staggering development in a relatively short period of time.”
Federal data showed that 6 percent of young adults 18 to 24 years old used only e-cigarettes from 2013 to 2014, while only 1.6 percent of older people did so. The data was from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Adult Tobacco Survey for 2013-2014.
A separate CDC survey found that in 2015, nearly 25 percent of all middle and high school students used e-cigarettes, compared to roughly 15 percent in 2014.
Murthy sought to dispel the idea that e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes. E-cigarettes deliver nicotine and flavors through inhaled aerosol.
“E-cigarette aerosol is not harmless,” the report said. “It can contain harmful and potentially harmful constituents, including nicotine.”
The report also slammed e-cigarette makers for marketing flavors that could entice kids.
The report noted that actions could be taken at all levels of government to curb e-cigarette use, including incorporating e-cigarettes into smokefree policies, preventing access to e-cigarettes by youths, and regulation of marketing that is likely to attract youths.
Over the past two years, the Food and Drug Administration has put out new regulations to take on e-cigarettes. The agency issued a new rule that calls for a ban on sales to minors nationwide, just as the ban for 18 year olds for traditional tobacco products.
A majority of states already had such bans but some states did not.
The agency also called on most new e-cigarettes to be approved to ensure they are safe. The e-cigarette industry pushed back against the regulation, saying that the FDA didn’t grandfather enough products and that too many now will need to get costly regulatory approval.
