US Surgeon General Releases Report on E-Cigarettes

In his newest report, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy calls the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) among adolescents a “major public health concern” (Konow, 2016).

According the report, e-cigarettes are the “most commonly used tobacco product for adolescents, even more than regular cigarettes,” and that this may be due to the myriad flavors available—about 7,770—and the marketing that makes it “appealing to youth and young adults” (Konow, 2016). E-cigarette use among high school youth increased 900 percent from 2011 to 2015 (Konow, 2016).

“Adolescent brains are particularly sensitive to nicotine’s effects,” stated Murthy in a press conference. He also said that adolescent usage could result in “a constellation of nicotine-induced neural and behavioral alterations” (Konow, 2016).

You can view the report by clicking here.

References

Konow, D. (2016). Surgeon General: E-cigarette use among high schoolers increased 900 percent since 2011. Retrieved from https://www.thefix.com/surgeon-general-e-cigarette-use-among-high-schoolers-increased-900-2011