The good news is that rate of teen smoking is going way
down. The not so good news is that e-smoking, or “vaping”, has increased.
Cigarettes versus E-cigarettes
The US Centers for Disease Control reports that about 11
percent of high school students said they smoke, and 24 percent of high school
students admitted they used e-cigarettes during the 30 days before the Centers
ran their report. Even though regular cigarette smoking is way down, there is a
rise in vaping. Medical professionals credit the heavy marketing campaign about
the health risks of smoking, the rise in age to buy cigarettes or show ID to
prove age.
E-Cigarette Laws
Starting in August 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration
will ban the sale of e-cigarette and e-cigars to anyone under the age of 18.
Health warnings will not be added to the packaging as there are laws in place
allowing manufacturers time to change boxes, etc. Other areas of concern
regarding teen health are the uptick in hookah usage, and teenage boys smoking
flavored cigars. US Media Studios notes that vaping is not all the healthy, and
more so when the vapor contains nicotine.
Why Are E-Cigarettes Bad for Teens
A team from a leading public health school found that many
e-cigarette flavors deliver diacetyl,
a chemical that causes "popcorn lung" found in workers at microwave popcorn
packaging plants. Other researchers found
formaldehyde, which is known to
cause cancer, and is common is regular nicotine cigarettes. Vaping may be the
next cool thing to smoking, but its health affect on teens is not so cool.
