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E-Cigarette Use Increases Especially Among Teens And Young Adults

Photo courtesy of Lindsay Fox/Creative Commons
Photo courtesy of Lindsay Fox/Creative Commons

Electronic cigarette use continues to rise despite inconclusive evidence of their effectiveness as tools to stop smoking and little data about their long-term health effects.

According to researchers at the University of California at San Francisco, adults using e-cigarettes were 28 percent less likely to quit smoking traditional cigarettes.

E-cigarettes should not be labeled as aids to quit smoking unless there is evidence that they actually help people quit, Sara Kalkhoran, the study's first author, wrote.

Despite e-cigarette’s introduction into the market in 2003 as a tool to quit smoking, adolescents and young adults have used them more than any other age group. According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 10 percent of young adults between the ages of 18 to 24 who have never smoked cigarettes have tried e-cigarettes, compared to almost 1 percent among adults ages 45 and over.

While research has been conducted regarding the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as smoking cessation aids, there is little data that shows the long-term cancer risks and cardiovascular effects of e-cigarettes.

This lack of information is compounded with a rise in use among teens and young adults.

According to Tracey Barnett, Ph.D, an assistant professor of behavioral science and community health at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, teens in her study who used e-cigarettes were more likely to transition to other tobacco products like cigarettes and hookah, which is used to smoke tobacco through cooled water.

E-cigarette flavors, such as bubblegum and mint, can make them intriguing to younger audiences, Barnett said.

The Food and Drug Administration does not currently regulate e-cigarettes but has proposed that their authority be extended to cover them.

The act of using an e-cigarette, which stimulates the feeling of smoking without the tobacco, is typically called vaping. Among young adults, vaping is fairly widespread, said Vishal Pathak, a 20-year-old third-year computer engineering student at the University of Florida.

The popularity of e-cigarettes has led to vaping competitions, known as “cloud chasing”, reports Grey Haze UK.

Stephen Suisse, the manager of Vapor Co. in Gainesville, hosted an event called "Vapesgiving" last November. Winners were chosen by the size and density of their vapor clouds, but Suisse was quick to add that the gatherings weren’t just about competing. He believes they foster a feeling of camaraderie among attendees. Suisse hopes these competitions will bring attention to tobacco alternatives.

There is no general consensus about whether e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional tobacco cigarettes, Dr. Barnett said.

As an ex-smoker of traditional cigarettes before turning to e-cigarettes, Suisse wants to be an advocate for those who are trying to quit smoking traditional cigarettes. Suisse said he was aware of concerns that e-cigarettes are dangerous, but as a heavy smoker who previously tried several methods for quitting, e-cigarettes have been invaluable.

Melanie is a reporter for WUFT News and can be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.