Teen E-Cigarette use study results draws reactions from American Lung Association, Sen. Barbara Boxer
Released today, the government-sponsored Monitoring the Future survey is the first national survey to report data for 2014 and the first national survey to show teen use of e-cigarettes surpassing use of regular cigarettes.
Two brands of e-cigs with the corresponding spare battery.
Equazcion at the wikipedia project
In addition, the study found that e-cigarette use among 8th and 10th graders was double that of traditional cigarette smoking.
The American Lung Association said the study highlights the urgent need for the Obama Administration to finalize its proposed regulation that would give the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products authority over e-cigarettes and other unregulated tobacco products. Currently, no e-cigarettes are under FDA’s authority.
“For years, the American Lung Association has sounded the warning bell about e-cigarette use among youth,” said Harold P. Wimmer, American Lung Association National President and CEO. “The Monitoring the Future results clearly show that the FDA must act now to regulate e-cigarettes to protect America’s children from nicotine addiction.”
The study also drew a reaction from Capital Hill today. Specifically, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) said the following: “This alarming increase in teen use of e-cigarettes demands action, and it is past time for the FDA to finalize strong rules to ban sales to minors and prevent e-cigarette makers from marketing to our kids”.
Some of the finding of the study were as follows:
- Among 8th graders, 8.7 percent reported using an e-cigarette in the past 30 days, while only 4 percent reported using a traditional cigarette.
- Among 10th graders, 16.2 percent reported using an e-cigarette and 7.2 percent reported using a traditional cigarette.
- Among 12th graders, 17.1 percent reported e-cigarette use and 13.6 percent reported use of a traditional cigarette.
Data suggests that for many young people, e-cigarettes could be a gateway to nicotine addiction and smoking of conventional cigarettes. Currently, 10 states and the District of Columbia do not have state laws prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes to minors – meaning that more than 16 million children live in states where they can legally purchase e-cigarettes.
A rule proposed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April would allow the agency to regulate e-cigarettes, which are not currently under FDA jurisdiction, and would also subject e-cigarettes to many, but not all, of the same federal regulations that currently apply to traditional cigarettes, including: banning sales to children under 18, requiring disclosure of product ingredients, and prohibiting manufacturers from claiming their products are less harmful than traditional cigarettes without scientific evidence supporting their claims. In August, thirteen Members of Congress including Boxer asked the FDA to move quickly to finalize a proposed rule on e-cigarettes within one year, and to include provisions that would limit youth access to the addictive products.
Senator Boxer has also introduced the Protecting Children from Electronic Cigarette Advertising Act to prohibit the marketing of e-cigarettes to children and teens. The bill has been endorsed by the American Public Health Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
