Makers of e-cigarettes say their products could save lives by helping adult smokers quit traditional cigarettes. But critics say that the electronic devices, which deliver nicotine via a heated aerosol and come in fruit flavors, are being marketed to teens and could put young people on the path to nicotine addiction.
E-cigarette brands such as Juul are popular among youth, according to an August 9, 2018 CNN article. The article also noted the long-term health effects of vaping (using e-cigarettes) are still unknown and cited a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study that found that e-cigarette users inhale dangerous chemicals and toxic heavy metals along with nicotine.
“There’s a lot that’s happening with an e-cigarette besides just the nicotine and the carrier fluid,” Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science and lead author of the Harvard Chan study, told CNN. “You’re also inhaling these flavoring chemicals like diacetyl or cousins of diacetyl, which have been found to be harmful.”
Read the CNN article or watch the video featuring Joseph Allen: Juul and the vape debate: Choosing between smokers and teens
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E-cigs pack a harmful punch (Harvard Chan School news)