E-cigarette use nearly doubled among U.S. high school kids in 2018 and went up by about 50 percent among middle school kids, according to an annual survey of teen smoking, drinking and drug use.
The process of "vaping" involves inhaling a vapor that usually contains nicotine. The vapor is created from a liquid heated up inside a battery-powered device.
An advisory issued in December by Surgeon General Jerome Adams declared vaping an "epidemic" in the United States. Earlier last year, an FDA briefing accused e-cigarette companies of failing to consider the public health impact of their products.
Juul, the most popular e-cig company with around 70 percent of the market share, has been accused of marketing products to teens specifically. CEO https://youtu.be/1cVBkj0pTzY" target="_blank">Kevin Burns says that underage usage was an unintended consequence of Juul's mission to improve the lives of adult smokers and eliminate cigarettes, and that the company is implemented an action plan to prevent youth from initiating e-cigarette use.
Why has vaping become so popular with young people in America? What's being done to address this growing public health issue?
What are the dangers of e-cigarette use? What are some common misconceptions? How hard of a habit is it to break?
What effect does San Antonio's "Tobacco 21" ordinance have on teen e-cigarette use locally?
Guests:
- Ernest Hawk, MD, division head and vice president of Cancer Prevention & Population Sciences at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Jennifer Herriott, MPH, assistant director overseeing the community health division of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department
- Jan Hoffman, health behaviors reporter for The New York Times
The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 210-614-8980, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet at @TPRSource.
This interview aired on Tuesday, January 14, 2019.
