Two studies conducted in 2013 have shown that more teenagers use electronic cigarettes despite the fact that tobacco and traditional cigarettes use is falling. Officials say that electronic cigarettes could trap another generation in smoking.
One of the studies was conducted on the high school teens in Connecticut and shows that almost 25 percent have used electronic cigarettes and 12 percent of them had used it in the past month. The other study, conducted on teens and students in Hawaii, show that 29 percent have used electronic cigarettes and about 18 percent of them used them in the past month. Both studies were conducted separately.
These statistics show an increase in the use of electronic cigarettes since the last study from the Centers for Disease control and Prevention. That study revealed that 4.5 percent of high school students and 1.1 percent of middle school students have used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days. This study was realized earlier in 2013.
The authors who conducted the study in Hawaii mentioned that electronic cigarette use among teenagers and kinds has doubled yearly since 2009. In the United States of America, the sales of electronic cigarettes reached 11.7 billion dollars in 2013.
The Food and Drug Administration have proposed that electronic cigarettes producers must register their product with the FDA and forbids the sale of these e-cigarettes to teenagers under 18. A report from CDC shows that even if minors cannot purchase electronic cigarettes in 40 states there are almost 16 million under age teens that live in states that allow them to buy e-cigarettes legally.
Electronic cigarettes use a liquid that in heated into vapor that is inhaled, even though it contains no tobacco, it still contains nicotine and some chemicals that gives them flavor such as mango, chocolate and bubble gum.
An electronic cigarette manufacturer, the Smoke Free Alternative Trade Association, said that they oppose selling their products to underage people. They also started a program that encourage retailers to ask for proof of age before selling this product and also to display signs saying they don’t sell electronic cigarettes to minors.
The authors who conducted the Hawaii study also revealed that electronic cigarettes are sold in places such as shopping malls and movie theaters, places that are frequented by teenagers. Also the study shows that many teenagers who use electronic cigarettes have never tried traditional cigarettes.
According to the study, teenagers think electronic cigarettes are not as dangerous as traditional ones. Almost 47 percent of the teenagers tried alcohol, 15 percent smoked traditional cigarettes and 18 percent experimented with marijuana.
According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the use of traditional cigarettes has halved since the year 2000. Statistics show that 28 percent of high school students were smoking in 2000 and 12.7 percent of teenagers were smoking in 2013.
Image Source: Mail Online
