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VAPING and E-CIGARETTES
Question: AREN’T E-CIGARETTES SAFER THAN SMOKING CIGARETTES OR USING SMOKELESS TOBACCO? A. Regular cigarettes are extraordinarily dangerous, killing half of all people who smoke long-term. However, youth use of tobacco products in any form is unsafe, including e-cigarettes. More research is needed to fully understand their impact on health. Q. CAN’T E-CIGARETTES HELP ME QUIT SMOKING REGULAR CIGARETTES? A. E-cigarettes may help non-pregnant adult smokers if used as a complete substitute for all cigarettes. However, there is no conclusive evidence that using e-cigarettes helps someone quit smoking for good.4 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved seven “quit aids” for quitting smoking, but e-cigarettes are not currently one of them. Q. AREN’T E-CIGARETTES USED MORE OFTEN BY ADULTS, NOT YOUTH? A. Youth are more likely than adults to use e-cigarettes. In 2018, more than 3.6 million U.S. middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, including 4.9 percent of middle school students and 20.8 percent of high school students.5 THE BOTTOM LINE: E-cigarettes are unsafe for young people. Whether a young person uses nicotine or marijuana in an e-cigarette, there can be dangerous health consequences. LEARN MORE: Get the latest information on how drugs affect the brain and body at teens.drugabuse.gov. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT E-CIGARETTES, CONTACT: SAMHSA 1–877–SAMHSA–7 (1–877–726–4727) (English and Español) TTY 1–800–487–4889 www.samhsa.gov store.samhsa.gov 1 KNOW THE LAW. People ages 18 and older are allowed to buy e-cigarettes in most states—other states have an age requirement of 19 or 21. However, just because e-cigarettes are legal for adults to purchase doesn’t mean they are safe, especially for young people.6 2 KNOW THE RISKS. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm the developing adolescent brain. The nicotine in e-cigarettes and other tobacco products can also prime young brains for addiction to other drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine.7 3 LOOK AROUND YOU. E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth. However, four out of five U.S. students overestimate peer e-cigarette use. If you’ve never smoked or used other tobacco products or e-cigarettes, don’t start.8 MORE INFORMATION FOR MORE INFORMATION OR FOR RESOURCES USED IN THIS “TIPS for TEENS, ” visit store.samhsa.gov or call 1–877–SAMHSA–7 (1–877–726–4727) (English and Español). PEP NO. 19-12 REVISED 2019 SAMHSA complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. SAMHSA cumple con las leyes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP SOMEONE WHO IS USING E-CIGARETTES? BE A FRIEND. Encourage your friend to stop using or seek help from a parent, teacher, or other caring adult. For 24/7 free and confidential information and referrals in English and Spanish, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at: 1–800–662–HELP (1–800–662–4357) or visit the SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator at: findtreatment.samhsa.gov E-Cigarettes are More Addictive than Traditional Cigarettes—A Study in Highly Educated Young People Mateusz Jankowski 1,* , Marek Krzystanek 2 , Jan Eugeniusz Zejda 1 , Paulina Majek 1 , Jakub Lubanski 1 , Joshua Allan Lawson 3,4 and Grzegorz Brozek 1 1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Medykow 18 Str, 40-752 Katowice, Poland 2 Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ziolowa 45/47 Str, 40-635 Katowice, Poland 3 Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 104 Clinic Place, P.O. Box 23, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2Z4, Canada 4 Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 103 Hospital Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0W8, Canada * Correspondence: mateusz.jankowski@sum.edu.pl; Tel.: +48-32252-37-34 or +48-692250620 Received: 13 April 2019; Accepted: 24 June 2019; Published: 27 June 2019 Abstract: E-cigarettes are often considered less addictive than traditional cigarettes. This study aimed to assess patterns of e-cigarette use and to compare nicotine dependence among cigarette and e-cigarette users in a group of highly educated young adults. From 3002 healthy adults, a representative group of 30 cigarette smokers, 30 exclusive e-cigarette users, and 30 dual users were recruited. A 25-item