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Tobacco Use is Soaring Among US Kids, Driven By E-cigarettes (axios.com)

Posted by msmash on from the growing-concerns dept.

Public health officials Monday said there's a growing epidemic of tobacco products currently used by children -- 4.9 million high school and middle school kids used tobacco products in 2018 up from 3.6 million in 2017 -- mainly due to a growth in e-cigarette usage. From a report: For the fifth year in a row, e-cigs were the most popular product amongst high school students, but in 2018 it reached unprecedented epidemic levels, with the addition of another 1.5 million kids, said Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Current users" are defined as people who've used a tobacco product in past 30 days. "Frequent users" are defined as people who've used the product for more than 20 out of the past 30 days.

16 of 246 comments (clear)

  1. e-cigarrettes arent tobacco by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I personally doubt they are any better for you, but vape juice is definately not tobacco.

    1. Re:e-cigarrettes arent tobacco by pegr · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Absolutely better for you. Nicotine is no worse for you than caffeine. It's the other nasties in tobacco that are bad for you.

      https://www.forbes.com/sites/s...
       

    2. Re:e-cigarrettes arent tobacco by wiggles · · Score: 5, Informative

      That's not true. Nicotine is directly associated with increased stroke and heart attacks. It attacks the venous system.

      https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com...

    3. Re:e-cigarrettes arent tobacco by danlip · · Score: 4, Informative

      However, nicotine is much more addictive than caffeine. It would be a mistake to equate them. And there are a variety of other chemicals in the vapes, which may or may not be harmful. And nicotine itself may contribute to cancer too.

    4. Re:e-cigarrettes arent tobacco by wiggles · · Score: 5, Informative

      No. Caffeine in the form of 4 cups or more of coffee per day actually has a preventative effect according to this meta-analysis:
      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p...

    5. Re:e-cigarrettes arent tobacco by sjames · · Score: 5, Informative

      From your link:

      Conclusions: The use of NRT is not associated with any increase in the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death.

      So no, nicotine minus the tar, particulates, and carbon monoxide is NOT associated with an increased of cardiovascular risk.

      Looks like you read what you (for some reason) wanted to read rather than what was written.

    6. Re:e-cigarrettes arent tobacco by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 4, Informative

      As does caffeine!

      Quite the opposite. Caffeine (and more broadly, the coffee that many people consume it in), has all sorts of wide ranging health benefits. There have been hundreds of studies by people trying to prove how unhealthy coffee (and caffeine) is, and all the studies ending up proving the exact opposite; that it actually reduces all sorts of illnesses.

      In moderation though - I have a friend who damn near died from palpitations brought on by coffee consumption.

      As well, the puritans who are shitting their pants because the tobacco users have found a loophole in vaping need vaping to be made as socially unacceptable as tobacco products.

      As a coffee addict, I can tell you that they are hoping to latch onto it as the next thing to be eradicated.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    7. Re:e-cigarrettes arent tobacco by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 5, Insightful

      From your link:

      Conclusions: The use of NRT is not associated with any increase in the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death.

      So no, nicotine minus the tar, particulates, and carbon monoxide is NOT associated with an increased of cardiovascular risk.

      Looks like you read what you (for some reason) wanted to read rather than what was written.

      It is the modern purist's version of reefer madness. The puritans don't need actual facts.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    8. Re:e-cigarrettes arent tobacco by sjames · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Well, it is believed that the ritual of smoking is a significant contributor to the addiction.

    9. Re:e-cigarrettes arent tobacco by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In moderation though

      Nearly all caffeine users have little difficulty keeping their use in the "good" range. But for nicotine, there is no "good" range, and it is far more addictive.

      As well, the puritans who are shitting their pants because the tobacco users have found a loophole in vaping

      Nonsense. We are only shitting our pants over kids getting ahold of vaping devices. Adults can do what they want.

      Do you really think that putting a highly addictive and harmful product into the hands of kids is acceptable? They are too stupid and naive to understand the consequences.

    10. Re:e-cigarrettes arent tobacco by Tawnos · · Score: 4, Insightful

      > for nicotine, there is no "good" range, and it is far more addictive.

      Are you sure about that? From what I've read, there's a potentiating effect of the nicotine caused by MAOIs in tobacco. Further, I have a very hard time finding studies about the health effects of nicotine that isn't from tobacco (smoked, chewed, or otherwise ingested). The health effects of nicotine sans tobacco seem akin to those of caffeine.

  2. Does that really count? by thereddaikon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah kids shouldn't be using vapes but should it be considered a tobacco product when it doesn't have tobacco in it? The biggest issues I see with them are that they often contain nicotine which is addictive, and the Fed's refusal to regulate them properly means they could have god knows what in the vape juice. Instead of having the pearl clutching knee jerk of they are evil maybe the FDA should actually regulate the things properly so we can ensure that they don't have unsafe chemicals in them.

    1. Re:Does that really count? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So what, adults should only be able to choose from flavors such as Buttered Ass and Steamed Kale? Things that are "appealing to kids" are also appealing to adults. How about we stop trying to ban everything 'for the children', because it's making the world pretty lame for the rest of us.

    2. Re: Does that really count? by Type44Q · · Score: 4, Funny

      Buttered Ass and Steamed Kale

      Together or separate?

  3. Are those numbers really that bad? by cordovaCon83 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If I'm Reading this right, about 15% of American adults smoke these days, compared to about 42% of adults in 1942. Granted, this story is about teenagers that will soon be adults, and a million more than expected is not a number to be scoffed at, but really when we start getting numbers down that low, I don't know how much more outrage is necessary. The number is never going to be zero percent, no matter what the Puritans wish.

  4. Almost as if this is targetted to addiction by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 4, Informative

    Almost all nicotine addiction occurs in middle school (not, as many believe incorrectly, in high school and college), and there are people working for the tobacco addiction industry who know this and are doing what they can to addict the next generations of addicts.

    And, don't lie to yourselves, you're addicts.

    Me, I do socially acceptable addictions that are common in Seattle instead.

    Bubble tea ftw!

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