E-cigarettes are an increasingly popular way of smoking tobacco products and use among teenagers is rising.
According to U.S. News and World Report children and adolescents across the country are still finding diverse ways of getting their hands on tobacco products.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13.4 percent of high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2014, compared to only 1.5 percent in 2011.
U.S. News and World Report reported that aggressive marketing campaigns are targeting young people with messages that glorify e-cigarettes, and the product, which comes in flavors like gummy bear and cotton candy, is increasingly designed to appeal to a young audience.
There are no safety requirements for how to package the nicotine refills, which are toxic, and poisonings are on the rise. In addition to no safety requirements there are also no federal regulations for e-cigarettes.
In December 2014 a 1-year-old boy from New York became the first child in the United States to die from liquid nicotine poisoning according to the report.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, in its new policy statement, is calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to include e-cigarettes, liquid nicotine and all other tobacco products in its jurisdiction.
The FDA has expressed interest in developing regulations requiring warnings and child-resistant packaging for tobacco products, including liquid nicotine, e-cigarettes, and other tobacco products.
Tobacco threatens children’s health and The American Academy of Pediatricians has made the message clear with new policies calling on Congress and the FDA to take action to keep tobacco products out of the lives of young children.
The full article from U.S. News and World Report can be found here.
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