Is smoking e-cigarettes safe?

Smoking e-cig

I know there is nothing worse than a reformed smoker, and as one, I actually get a stomach ache when I see a teen or young adult smoking. I want to run up to them and tell them how dangerous smoking is to their health. But, unless they are in my office or examining room I usually refrain from confronting them.

If they are seeing me professionally and they stink worse than a fireplace chimney, I know they smoke and I offer them advice whether they want it or not. I justify my intervention based on studies that show a doctor’s recommendation to stop smoking is one of the most effective habit-breaking incentives.

So why worry about the use of e-cigarettes? A couple of reasons, one, nicotine in any form is not very good for a healthy body, but the main reason is that kids who use e-cigs have a much higher rate of tobacco smoking than those who have never “vapped.” There is no reason to talk about the health risk of tobacco, it has been covered extensively over the past 50 years since I quit.

A study in this month’s issue of Pediatrics surveyed a group of high school kids (median age 17.5) and followed them for 16 months. They found that kids who smoke e-cigarettes were 6X more likely to start smoking tobacco during the study time than kids who never used e-cigarettes.

The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) knew of this relationship and of the health risk of e-cigarettes and has been asking the FDA to ban selling of them to kids. Fortunately, the FDA obliged them and in May this year will require buyers to be at least 18 years old and show proof of age before purchasing e-hookahs, vape pens or e-cigarettes.

Whether that regulation is government over-reach or not is outside the scope of this post but if the government is to “…promote the general welfare …” of its citizens the FDA did the right thing.