CDC: E-cigarettes, hookahs popular among middle and high-schoolers

[Redfairen]

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A report released by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that more middle- and high-school students are embracing the emerging alternatives to smoking tobacco-based cigarettes.

.......

“This report raises a red flag about newer tobacco products,” CDC director Tohm Frieden said in a statement. “Cigars and hookah tobacco are smoked tobacco — addictive and deadly. We need effective action to protect our kids from addition to nicotine.”

The report cites data from the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey that showed recent e-cigarette use rose among middle school students from 0.6 percent in 2011 to 1.1 percent in 2012. Among high school students over that same time, the increase was from 1.5 percent to 2.8 percent, according to the report.

Hookah use increased from 4.1 percent to 5.4 percent among high school students from between 2011 and 2012.



Read more: http://m.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/health/cdc-e-cigarettes-hookahs-popular-among-middle-and-/nbsD9/

[BlueJazz]

1. If we don't let children buy cigarettes than why permit them to buy E-cigarettes?

I'm about half-torn on this issue but would favor "No E-Smokes for kids"

[Treant]

8. Same here

And I use an e-cig.

I'd really like to see the base data from the CDC. It wouldn't be the first time they found 1 high schooler using something and the press started screaming about the zombie hordes of the apocalypse.

Now if a high schooler is using it to avoid cigarettes, I'm all for it.

[weissmam]

20. Issue

the only issue I can think of is that the health effecst are still unknown , we could be seeting ourselves up for another long term problem. I almost wnat to waint and see what the health effects are

[Treant]

21. Possibly

But we do have test data since 2003, and far longer than that on everything in them (propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, nicotine, some flavorings).

PG and VG are already listed at unlimited exposure for those who are (like operators of fog machines in theaters and clubs and so on). Nicotine may or may not cause problems, although data indicates not. Water vapor is known not to be an issue.

Flavorings CAN be a major issue and some are banned for inhalation. So this is a potential problem.

On the other hand, I balanced risk and came up with unknown is extremely highly probably lower than very high risk. So did my doctor, and he approves.

[pnwmom]

25. Nicotine causes nicotine addiction, at the very least.

Our children deserve protection from that.

[Treant]

29. Semi-Agreed

I'm not a child, nor discussing one above.

"But think of the children" holds very little truck in that argument

[pnwmom]

33. This whole thread is about children using it. So is the OP. nt

[Treant]

34. Think of the Children...

Well, if it comes down to it, I'd rather see them pick up the e-cig habit. Although actually, I wasn't discussing them above, we were discussing general health issues.

Whilst we're at it, definitely make sure they don't pick up that caffeine habit...sugar...trans fats...

Hell, let's put the little dears into boxes and force-feed them organic yoghurt.

Or maybe you could...you know...parent them instead of relying on me to do it for you?

Naw, too hard.

[Warpy]

26. I'm a lot more concerned about high school kids in hookah bars

They inhale the smoke more deeply and in larger amounts than they do with cigarettes. It might be cooled by the water and flavored with kiddie flavors, but it's still full of nasty tar and particulates as well as nicotine and that is incredibly damaging to lungs that are still growing.

Kids need to be carded at those places.

E-cigs have all the nasty effects of nicotine on smooth muscle, aging skin prematurely and screwing up the cardiovascular system, but they're not nearly as damaging as inhaling concentrated smoke. They should be available to stupid kids who got addicted to Mom's lung dusters by prescription.

[angstlessk]

2. ecigs are NOT a tobacco product they are a nicotine product just like

patches and gum

[BlueJazz]

3. Don't they have nicotine ?? (I don't know...just asking)

[Cal Carpenter]

5. Most do, but so does eggplant

Many former-smokers who used e-cigs to quit continue to vape but with no nicotine in the e-juice.

Nicotine is found in things other than tobacco.

[BlueJazz]

6. Ahh...I see...thanks !

[angstlessk]

7. I stated they were a nicotine product..and yes some have 0 nicotine

tobacco and nicotine are not the same thing.

[tridim]

4. Not all e-cigs contain nicotine

But your point is still valid.

Calling an e-cig a tobacco product is very misleading. Insurance companies don't even go that far.

[onehandle]

12. Except patches and gun don't spray material into the air.

E-cigarettes will ultimately be regulated like cigarettes.

Businesses and localities are already restricting them from coast to coast.

[Treant]

14. Inhalers do

Including nicotine inhalers. Yet, miraculously, they remain unregulated as to use.

Air studies don't show a problem from e-cigs even for somebody directly breathing in what a user breathes out. The secondhand smoke concept simply doesn't apply.

[onehandle]

15. There are absolutely no scientific, long-term studies on this.

E-cig propaganda is not science.

But I have seen them used. They spray visible smoke like mist. It has a smell, proving matter. If it contains nicotine, it's spraying nicotine into the air.

Regulation is coming.

[Treant]

18. Incorrect.

ANTZ propaganda is not science, nor fact.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

27. Actually, the liquid comes in various levels including ZERO nicotine...

It also comes in a wide variety of flavors including cherry and coffee.

Frankly, I'm surprised they haven't come up with weed flavored.

That would be VERY popular.

[MyNameGoesHere]

9. Think I'll take a toot

[Treant]

10. I love you.

No, seriously, I'd fall in love with anybody if it meant I could use their Provari.

Mostly I use an inexpensive and relatively reliable automatic Volt X2. It works for me.

[MyNameGoesHere]

11. Trust me I feel you

After going through dozens of different setups, I bit the bullet and went all in. That's about 400 bucks worth of vape gear there. Now that they have the ceramic wicks, I can say that there is nothing that equals the quality of vaping experience.

[onehandle]

13. Hook 'em while they're young. The new big tobacco, the same as the old big tobacco. nt

[msongs]

16. nicotine is an addictive drug. drug pushers are trying to hook the youths of America nt

[2banon]

36. Big Tobacco is AGAINST e-cig industry

they're campaigning big time to get lawmakers to regulate, to shut down.. they fear the obvious, and they also want time to get in on the action finding ways of monopolizing. Nothing new there.

[spin]

17. E-cigs are the major reason that I am not smoking cigarettes today. ...

I also feel that these modern nicotine delivery systems are far more healthy for the users and those around them than older methods are.

However I can understand how e-cigs and similar devices might appeal to teenagers.

For some reason I get a little suspicious when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants the power to regulate e-cigs. It sounds like a great idea but for some reason I suspect the FDA would do its best to regulate e-cigs out of existence.

[Treant]

19. Pharmaceutical companies

would love it if the e-cig didn't exist. That's more people to go on the patch, gum, and Chantix. Let's not even discuss the issues with that last one.

[spin]

22. Good points. (n/t)

[2banon]

37. tobacco industry is behind the scare tactics and heavy regulations

success of e-cigs as alternative to tobacco products is a huge threat to their bottom line, and they're not having it. Be vary wary of reports and you're right to question the FDA involvement.

[spin]

39. Tobacco companies are becoming interested in promoting e-cigs. ...

Big Tobacco Invests in E-Cigarettes. Should You?
Still just a puff for Big Tobacco, but e-cigarettes are shaking up the smoking giants

By RICHARD SATRAN

U.S. sales of electronic cigarettes are expected to jump past $1 billion this year, and where there's growth like that you can bet someone is making money – whether it'll be new companies or Big Tobacco remains to be seen.

While still a tiny fraction of total tobacco sales, the market is already a lucrative one for some fledgling e-cigarette firms, though companies that promote and advertise the products are receiving much of the benefits, not manufacturers themselves. Longer term, the burning question is: Who is best positioned when government regulators take control of a market that's so unfettered it can legally target adolescents with candy-flavored smokes.

***snip***

Lorillard, the scrappy No. 3 cigarette maker behind giants Altria and Reynolds American, has moved aggressively with its blu brand, says Kwon, adding that the company has "always been an innovator." It's trying to bring a touch of Mad Men-style glamour to cigarettes, and bringing smokes back to the tube for the first time in four decades with ads featuring television celebrity Jenny McCarthy puffing up the benefits of e-cigarettes by saying "it's not sexy" to smell like an ashtray and pointing out she doesn't have to freeze outside to smoke a cigarette.

***snip***

And what about Big Tobacco's role? Altria and Reynolds need to compete, but the cost of a massive new marketing push in a sector where regulatory issues are still being sorted out might not make perfect sense, at least for now, analysts say, especially if such new costs mean any trade-off for tobacco company shareholders who purchase the stocks in part for their high dividend yields. "They are in a business that is highly profitable that does not require a whole lot of investment," says Kwon, while noting a changing market could upend such reluctance. "This could be much different in the future, and this is something they will have to invest in. It's in its very early stages, but it has potential to become something big, and it could have an impact."
http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/mutual-funds/articles/2013/10/17/big-tobacco-invests-in-e-cigarettes-should-you

There is no doubt that our government loves to regulate and often that is a good thing. However big business often is able to exert its power to determine the extent of the regulation. The big drug companies may fear that e-cigs present a threat to their sales of anti-smoking drugs, nicotine patches and gum. Tobacco companies may decide to support e-cigs as it may attract many young smokers who think that such devices are cool.

I personally feel that e-cigs present a lower level of health risk then cigarettes, cigars or chewing tobacco but more research should be done. I smoked e-cigs for two years and now have quit. I will admit that I occasionally smoke an good cigar or sometimes (rarely) bum a cigarette off a smoker which I pay for. That's a major improvement over smoking a pack a day.

My doctor recommended trying e-cigs as he said that a number of his patients had managed to significantly reduce or quit smoking conventional tobacco products.

[2banon]

40. I'm trying to quit cigs, and have turned to e-cigs ...

I even went an entire 5 days without any cigarettes. Only using e-cig, purchased a kit, with several different flavored liquids..

when I had an actual cigarette I could taste the poison and the toxicity of the tobacco is treated with. I agree that more research and study needs to be conducted.. like one does after being sick and not having smoked for several days. but then that feeling goes away... and there i am again smoking. but I do try and rely on the e-cig for the car and in other circumstances if I'm going to be socializing and so forth. I'd really like to quit cigarettes

I agree more research and study needs to be conducted, but it's clear that e-cigs are a LOT less harmful than manufactured cigarettes. I am a bit leary of the various flavorings in the liquids, and would like more information on those, are there any that are seriously harmful, less so and so on.

Thanks for the article by the way, I have several other articles, analysis on the back story of Big Tobaccos involvement in seeking tight regulations etc, they have their product but isn't anything what vape shops offer from what I've seen so far. i'm in California Bay Area, and I understand that vape shops have been prominent back East for several years, and we're just getting started here in a manner of speaking. So there's a lot of information for me to catch up on.

[cynzke]

23. Haven't seen any research on this, but....

It would seem to me that while smoking and second hand smoke have their health risks....what about the moist vapor expelled by someone into the surrounding air. Isn't there potential to expel airborne diseases, viruses or flus?

[Treant]

24. Like breathing?

Or worse, sneezing? Air comes out of your lungs at near 100% humidity and laden with any disease you have. Although the common cold actually gets transmitted by direct physical contact in many cases.

PG is used in hospital air systems to reduce airborne illnesses. It tends to weigh down viruses and bacteria and settle them to the floor. PG's also the heavy-hitter in e-cig liquids. One study, and I can't remember where I saw it, mentioned something along the lines of one e-cig user disinfecting an 8x8x8 foot volume.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

28. Don't you know some people find joy in smacking smokers in the back of the head with a frying pan?

[Treant]

30. So I've noticed

Although no longer a smoker, I've heard everything from "you haven't quit" to "you should suck it up and use the patch/gum/cold turkey method."

1) I'm no longer putting match to cigarette so I have quit smoking. And if you haven't...I don't care. You're an adult.

2) In the second case, thanks for telling me how to live my life in accordance with your values. Now go away.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

31. A woman once said, "Ewww! Kissing a smoker is like licking a dirty ashtray!"

Last edited Thu Nov 14, 2013, 11:14 PM - Edit history (1)

My reply, "Well, that's nice to know the next time you're lonely."

[Treant]

32. I love it!

Even as a non-smoker, kissing a smoker is more like kissing somebody who wears cologne or perfume I don't care for. Since that encompasses close to 80% of scents, it's not really that bad.

Sex with a smoker? Now that's just hot.

These days, I just have a light tone of mint from my e-cig liquid. Most people tell me they like it, those that even notice.

[jayfish]

35. This Is One of The Most Sensationalistic, Much Ado About Nothing, Stories I have Seen In Some Time.

2.8 and 5.4 percent? That's "popular"? That's "embracing"? Give me a f'ing break! By comparison:


CDC-Youth and Tobacco Use

Cigarettes
Each day in the United States, nearly 4,000 people younger than 18 years of age smoke their first cigarette, and an estimated 1,000 youth in that age group become new daily cigarette smokers.2,6 This means that nearly 400,000 young people become daily smokers each year.6

Percentage of high school students who smoked one or more cigarettes in the previous month in 2011

18.1% of high school students

16.1% of female high school students
19.9% of male high school students

CDC-Underage Drinking

Alcohol use by persons under age 21 years is a major public health problem Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States, more than tobacco and illicit drugs, and is responsible for more than 4,700 annual deaths among underage youth. Although drinking by persons under the age of 21 is illegal, people aged 12 to 20 years drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States. More than 90% of this alcohol is consumed in the form of binge drinks. On average, underage drinkers consume more drinks per drinking occasion than adult drinkers. In 2010, there were approximately 189,000 emergency rooms visits by persons under age 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol.

Drinking Levels among Youth

The 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that among high school students, during the past 30 days

39% drank some amount of alcohol.
22% binge drank.
8% drove after drinking alcohol.
24% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.

UofM-Teens and 'Extreme' Binge Drinking

A recent study finds 10% of high school seniors take part in "extreme binge drinking," that's 10 or more alcoholic drinks in a single sitting.

Addictions experts tells 21 News they are not surprised by the study, and some believe social media plays a role in the trend.

"It's a social norm anymore," said Meghan Fortner, an addiction treatment expert for youth and young adults at Meridian Community Care in Youngstown. "It's truly the less inhibited you are the more funny, the more popular, the more 'likes' you get, the more 're-tweets' you get, and it becomes viral and kids enjoy that, it's that attention."

The University of Michigan study surveyed more than 16,000 high school seniors between 2005 and 2011. The surveys found one in ten high schools seniors engaged in extreme binge drinking at least once in the past two weeks. That's 10 or more alcoholic drinks in a single sitting. The study also found one in 20 had 15 or more drinks in a row.

Energy Drinks Are Sending Teens to ERs and May Be Killing Them, Too

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reported that as many as five deaths between 2009 and 2012 could be linked to Monster's energy drinks. It also linked 13 deaths with the drink, 5-Hour Energy. According to the New York Times, these FDA reports were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by Fournier’s mother, Wendy Crossland.

Most likely in order to avoid the bad press associated with allegedly killing teens, Monster rebranded its drink a “beverage” rather than a dietary supplement in March, a move which no longer requires the company to report any deaths associated with its drink. Instead, Monster is required to include caffeine content on the product’s labeling.

The issue of excess caffeine in popular drinks first made front-page news when the caffeinated alcoholic malt beverage Four Loko sent flurries of teenagers to the hospital. The disturbing trend led the company to drop caffeine from its products when the FDA stepped in, in 2010. Aside from its restriction of beverages that mix alcohol and caffeine following the Four Loko debacle, the FDA does not regulate energy drinks—despite the fact that energy drinks were involved in a startling 20,000 emergency room visits in 2011, a figure that more than doubled in size from 2007.

The recent slew of teen deaths led a handful of U.S. senators to call on the FDA to regulate the drinks last year, and for the first time the medical community is now calling for the regulation of energy drinks.

I'd gladly have more teens using personal vaporizers than any of the activities listed above.

[2banon]

38. ^1+