E-Cigarettes Not a Smoking Deterrent for Kids

E-Cigarettes Not a Smoking Deterrent for Children

Research finds 'vaping' may lead teenagers who would've by no means smoked to strive nicotine

WebMD Information from HealthDay

By Amy Norton

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Jan. 23, 2017 (HealthDay Information) -- There is no proof that e-cigarettes are driving down teen smoking -- and, in reality, they might be drawing in children who in any other case would by no means have smoked, a brand new research suggests.

Researchers stated the findings add to considerations about youngsters' use of e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes are battery-powered units that ship nicotine -- together with flavoring and different chemical substances -- via a vapor slightly than tobacco smoke. They're typically marketed as a "safer" various to smoking, and a bridge towards quitting.

However little is definitely identified about their well being results, in keeping with the U.S. Nationwide Institutes of Well being.

In recent times, the units have been hovering in recognition amongst U.S children. A federal report discovered that between 2013 and 2014, e-cigarette use tripled amongst highschool and center college college students nationwide.

Nonetheless, cigarette smoking has continued to say no. And a few have argued that the rise in children' e-cigarette use may really be feeding the lower of their smoking fee, stated Lauren Dutra, the lead researcher on the brand new research.

Based mostly on her findings, nonetheless, she stated that is not the case.

"We discovered no proof to assist that concept," stated Dutra, who was a fellow with the College of California, San Francisco's Heart for Tobacco Management Analysis and Training on the time of the research.

The truth is, the research discovered, many children who used e-cigarettes had by no means smoked -- and have been really "low danger" for beginning.

"These aren't the children we might usually count on to take up smoking," stated Dutra, who's now a social scientist with the non-profit analysis group RTI Worldwide.

The research findings are based mostly on an ongoing federal survey monitoring tobacco use amongst U.S. children in grades six via 12.

Total, college students' smoking charges dropped between 2004 and 2014, from practically 16 p.c to simply over 6 p.c. The decline was regular, with no indicators of rushing up after 2009 -- when e-cigarettes got here onto the scene.

If the units actually have been driving children away from cigarettes, Dutra stated, you'd count on to see an acceleration within the smoking decline.