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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