The US surgeon general says that the increased use of e-cigarettes among young people represents a “major public health concern,” The Washington Post reports, and is calling on lawmakers to implement regulations that would curb their use among American youth. In a report to be released on Thursday, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says that although there is a need for further research on the long-term effects of e-cigarettes, exposure to nicotine through vaping poses serious health risks to young people.
“We know enough right now to say that youth and young adults should not be using e-cigarettes or any other tobacco product, for that matter,” Murthy said in an interview with the Post. “The key bottom line here is that the science tells us the use of nicotine-containing products by youth, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe.”
The report, which focuses on vaping among young people, acknowledges that e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, as previous research has shown. But the surgeon general says there is not strong evidence that the devices are effective at helping people to quit smoking cigarettes, and concludes that vaping is “strongly associated” to the use of other tobacco products. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 3 million American teenagers used e-cigarettes in 2015, marking a ten-fold increase over four years… Read More>>
Source: The Verge
