Columbus, OH,
08
June
2018
|
12:00 PM
Europe/Amsterdam

ABC6: Doctors warn about the rise of e-cigarette use among teens

A warning for parents about a new study suggesting that the use of e-cigarettes is rising among teenagers. The appealing fruity flavors that are now being sold from electronic cigarette manufacturers are drawing youth in and marketing to their taste buds.

Doctors also point out that e-cigarettes pose just as big of a health risk as regular cigarettes. Also known as vapes, e-cigarettes can also be suggested as a gateway to using traditional tobacco products.

"For teenagers and the younger population that are using e-cigarettes, they are leading to more of a gateway to using combustible tobacco," Kim Hehman, Director of Cancer and Respiratory Care for OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, told ABC6 reporter Rodney Dunigan.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of data in regards to research right now,” Hehman told Dunigan. “We’re learning more and more.”

According to the U.S Surgeon General, e-cigarettes not only contain nicotine, which is also found in traditional cigarettes, but flavor infusing chemicals like diacetyl, which has been linked to serious lung disease.

However, even with these health risks, more and more vape companies now offer multiple flavors, which has many teens seeking the sweet taste that has seemingly become addicting.

Parents should begin to take notice in their child’s use of any e-cigarette and become more aware of the health risks associated with this new fad.

To learn more about the health risks of e-cigarettes click here.

To see the full ABC6 story, please click on their logo.