Growing e-cigarette usage is a risky trend with genuine health hazards, especially among young people. E-cigarettes shouldn’t be marketed as a risk-free substitute to smoking for a variety of reasons.

While fewer people than ever before smoke or start smoking, many more use other tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery devices. The recent increase in e-cigarette use (also known as vaping) by children and young people poses a serious public health risk.

The battery-powered devices come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and can resemble traditional cigarettes, pens, or even sleek tech gadgets. A vapor-like aerosol is inhaled and exhaled by users. This method of nicotine ingestion poses health risks to both users and non-users.

Many downsides Few potential upsides.

Promoters of e-cigarettes assert that the products can assist smokers in giving up. However, much more research is required to discover whether they are a successful method of quitting. According to research, individuals who engage in “dual use,” which includes both smoking and vaping, are more likely to do so.

The American Heart Association suggests tried-and-true strategies for quitting smoking.

Many people think vaping is less risky than smoking. While e-cigarette aerosol does not contain all of the contaminants found in tobacco smoke, it is still not safe. Here are some of the reasons why:

• Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can harm the developing brains of teens, children, and foetuses in pregnant women who vape. Some have significantly higher nicotine levels than regular cigarettes.

• E-cigarette vapour contains potentially harmful substances such as diacetyl (a chemical linked to a serious lung disease), cancer-causing chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead, in addition to nicotine. These toxic contaminants are inhaled by users, and non-users nearby are at risk of secondhand exposure.

Even when not being used for the intended purpose, the liquid used in e-cigarettes can be harmful. By inhaling the liquid, eating it, or absorbing it via their skin or eyes, children and adults have been poisoned.

E-cigarettes have been connected to tens of thousands of cases of fatal lung injury. The CDC advises people not to use e-cigarettes even though the precise cause is still unknown.

The most serious threat to public health posed by e-cigarettes may be as follows: The growing popularity of vaping may “re-normalize” smoking, which has been declining for several years. Reversing the global effort to reduce smoking’s hard-won gains would be disastrous. Annually, 480,000 American lives are lost due to smoking, which is the leading preventable cause of death.

A threat to kids and young people.

• The tobacco industry wants to introduce nicotine and smoking to a younger demographic.
• In just 2017, they spent almost $8.6 billion on aggressive marketing.
• That amounts to roughly $1 million every hour and more than $23 million every day.
• 4 out of 5 kids, or nearly 80% of middle and high school pupils, were exposed to e-cigarette advertising in 2016.
• The most popular method of tobacco usage among children and teenagers nowadays is e-cigarettes. Use among school students in the U.S. doubled from 2017 to 2018.
• The tempting tastes, according to many young people who have tried e-cigarettes, are one reason. In fact, more than 80% of teen users say that their first e-cigarette product was flavored.

More effort and research are needed.

According to the Surgeon General, e-cigarette use among young people is a public health concern.American . Therefore, we advocate for stronger regulations that:

Include e-cigarettes in smoke-free laws.

E-cigarettes should be regulated and taxed in the same way as other tobacco products.

These products are more appealing to kids and young people when they are void of all flavors, including menthol.

Enforce the new federal law that increased the minimum age for tobacco product sales from 18 to 21 years.

The American Heart Association supports the FDA’s regulatory authority over e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.

What’s the bottom line?

• E-cigarette usage and exposure are not recommended for children, teenagers, or expectant women.
• Prior to contemplate using e-cigarettes, which have not been demonstrated to be successful, those who want to stop smoking or using tobacco products should attempt established tobacco cessation methods.
• E-cigarette use is not recommended for those who do not currently smoke or use tobacco products.

E-cigarettes’ long-term health implications are still little known. According to science, vaping is not a safe or healthy alternative to smoking. We will continue to fund research into the health effects of this and other tobacco product trends aimed at attracting a new generation of users.