Study Says: Teenagers Prefer E-Cigarettes, Not Tobacco
For parents who hoped their children would heed their warnings and never start smoking, they should continue holding in that sigh of relief regarding the news that fewer teens use tobacco. While not as many teenagers are using tobacco products, reports show that more teens are beginning to use e-cigarettes, which are battery-fueled devices that have heating elements, which produce a vapor or aerosol for users to inhale.
This is per the annual “Monitoring the Future” study performed by the University of Michigan, tracking trends in substance use in students in grades 8, 10, and 12. “Part of the reason for the popularity of e-cigarettes is the perception among teens that they do not harm health,” says senior investigator Richard Miech. Oftentimes, e-cigarette vapor does have nicotine and sometimes comes in flavors like milk chocolate or bubble gum, making it attractive for younger teens.
Filling in the Gap
Within the last several years, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research proposed to fill in the current research gap on e-cigarettes in order to properly inform healthcare professionals, regulators as well as adult and teenage users of the progressively popular devices on the effects these aerosol mixtures have on the gums, oral tissue, and mouth in general.
In response to the potentially serious health effects e-cigarettes have, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enacted a rule that would extend its regulatory power to even more tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, hookah, and cigars, in order to better public health.
According to a study in the JAMA Pediatrics Journal, “In the absence of federal regulation, youth e-cigarette use has increased and e-cigarette sellers online operate in a regulatory vacuum, using few, if any, efforts to prevent sales to minors. Even in the face of state laws like North Carolina’s requiring age verification, most vendors continue to fail to even attempt to verify age in accordance with the law, underscoring the need for careful enforcement.”
There have also been reports of schools deeming electronic cigarettes drug paraphernalia, meaning students caught with them are more harshly dealt with than students caught smoking traditional cigarettes.
Monitoring the Future
As per the results of the “Monitoring the Future” study, four percent of participating 8th graders admitted to using tobacco cigarettes within the previous 30 days whereas nine percent admitted to using e-cigarettes. For 10th graders, only seven percent admitted to using tobacco cigarettes whereas 16 percent admitted to using e-cigarettes.
Finally, among the 12th graders, 14 percent admitted to using tobacco cigarettes compared to the 17 percent who reported using e-cigarettes. Notably, older teenagers reported less of a difference between e-cigarette use versus tobacco cigarette use.
When using these devices, it is still important to have regular checkups to ensure good oral health. If you would like to save as much as 20 percent when you do visit the dentist, consider signing up for our New Hampshire discount dental plan. For more information, click here.
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