The use of E-Cigarettes and Vaping products continues to grow in popularity, especially within younger populations. While you may have heard from friends that the use Vaping is how they quit smoking, E-Cigarettes are not one of the 9 FDA approve smoking cessation treatments. If you want to quit smoking, speak with your doctor.
Key Message and Statistics provided by the American Heart Association:
E-cigarettes
- E-cigarettes have been falsely marketed as a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes and as a tool to help adult smokers quit.
- Tobacco companies are targeting youth and addicting a new generation to nicotine, reversing the decades-long progress that has been made in reducing youth tobacco use.
- There is evidence that kids and young adults may transition from e-cigarettes to traditional cigarettes and other drugs.
- Many adolescents falsely believe these products are safe, and many teens don’t even realize they contain nicotine. When asked about what’s in their e-cigarette, 66% said just flavoring.
- To address this dramatic rise in e-cigarette use, we need stronger regulation by the FDA on the design, manufacturing, sales and marketing on all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
- We are working at the federal, state and community levels to support public policies that prevent all tobacco use.
- No child should use e-cigarettes or any other tobacco product.
Surge in vaping among teens
- The latest data show that more than 1 in 4 high school students are using e-cigarettes (compared to approximately 1 in 10 just two years ago).
- More than 5 million high school students are now using e-cigarettes.
- Recent research released by the American Heart Association shows flavors were more likely to motivate young adults 18-24 than those over age 35 to start vaping, a finding that researchers suggest could explain the explosive increase in e-cigarette use among youth.
- Nearly a third of respondents said flavors available in e-cigarettes was a major reason they started vaping. Young adults aged 18-24 were nearly twice as likely as people aged 35-44 to identify flavors as the major reason they took up e-cigarette use.
Recent illness epidemic associated with e-cigarette use
- Hundreds of confirmed cases of severe respiratory illness have been reported among e-cigarette users in virtually every state, resulting in several deaths.
- The exact cause of the illnesses hasn’t been determined. So far, no single product or additive has been attributed to the outbreak, though some public health experts have suggested the illnesses may be the result of illegal e-cigarette products that recently entered the market, while others say the cause could be synthetic or contaminated e-liquids that flavor e-cigarettes.
- Our overall understanding of the short- and long-term health impacts of e-cigarettes is limited, and as the recent outbreak of illnesses shows, we have a lot more to learn about e-cigarettes and their public health impact.
AHA recommendations for current e-cigarette user
- If you are concerned about the health risks associated with the recent outbreak of illnesses related to e-cigarette use, consider refraining from using e-cigarettes.
- Do not buy e-cigarette products off the street.
- Do not modify e-cigarettes or add any substances to them that were not intended by the manufacturer.
- If you use e-cigarette products, monitor yourself for symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath, chest pain) and promptly seek medical attention if you have concerns about your health.
- If you are concerned about harmful effects from e-cigarette products, call your local poison control center at: 1-800-222-1222.
- Report any unexpected tobacco or e-cigarette-related health or product issues to the FDA via the online Safety Reporting Portal: https://www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov.
Recommendations regarding the use of e-cigarettes to quit smoking
- Smokers looking to quit should first try proven pharmacological and behavioral smoking cessation therapies, along with smoking cessation counseling.
- Smokers considering e-cigarettes to help them quit smoking should consult with a medical professional to make a plan for quitting tobacco use entirely.
- Although some smokers have reported quitting the habit with the help of e-cigarettes, these products have not been proven to be effective tobacco cessation devices.
