ROCKVILLE, Md. -- In what could become the basis for new restrictions on electronic cigarettes, the U.S. surgeon general released a report Dec. 8 that calls the products “unsafe” and “addictive,” declaring the vapor or “aerosol” released “potentially harmful” to users and those around them.
Referring to the report, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said the use of e-cigarettes has seen “dramatic growth among youth due in part to easy access, lack of information and widespread advertising.”
The report said that, while nicotine is a highly addictive drug at any age, youth and young adults are uniquely vulnerable to the long-term consequences of exposing the brain to nicotine, and concludes that use of nicotine by young people in any delivery format is unsafe. The report also referred to “secondhand aerosol” and how the exhaled vapors can expose others to potentially harmful chemicals.
While saying more research is required to declare cause and effect, Murthy said that within the youth demographic, a strong correlation also exists between the use of e-cigarettes and the additional use of traditional cigarettes.
More than 150 experts were involved in the writing and review of the report, which includes e-cigarettes, cigalikes, e-hookahs, mods, vape pens, vapes and tank systems, Murthy said.
“Any tobacco use, including e-cigarettes, is a health threat, particularly to young people,” said Murthy, whose office is in Rockville, Md.
The report also called for action on a number of fronts, including:
- Continuing to regulate e-cigarettes at the federal level
- Raising and strongly enforcing minimum age-of-sale laws for all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes
- Incorporating e-cigarettes into smoke-free policies
- Regulating e-cigarette marketing
- Sponsoring media campaigns that discuss the harms of e-cigarettes to young people
- Expanding research efforts related to e-cigarettes
Vaping-industry supporters focused on the cessation benefits of e-cigarettes. Tony Abboud, national legislative director for the Washington, D.C.-based Vapor Technology Association said its members are committed to the health and safety of children and support bipartisan legislation that keeps vapor products away from minors.
“[However,] what the surgeon general does not acknowledge with this announcement are the millions of adult Americans who rely on vapor products to switch away from smoking deadly cigarettes,” Abboud said. “While there is no credible evidence that vapor products are a ‘gateway’ to combustible cigarettes, there is scientific evidence that they provide these adult smokers with a safer alternative.”
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