Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

E-cigarettes: Good for adults, bad for children?

Mike Sevilla, MD
Physician
September 19, 2013
Share
Tweet
Share

Are electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, good or bad? There have been two huge stories recently, which may be seen as conflicting and confusing.

First, the good news. The Lancet showed that electronic cigarettes are effective in helping adults stop smoking. How effective? About as effective as the nicotine patch. Of course, more research is needed in this area, but this is a positive step, right?

Now, the bad news. A study from the Centers for Disease Control showed that e-cigarette use more than doubled among US middle school and high school students. I recommend you check out leading pediatrician social media journalists Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson and Dr. Claire McCarthy on their great essays on the topic.

But, what’s the problem? Kids cannot purchase real cigarettes. So, that means they cannot purchase e-cigarettes, right? Wrong. My home state of Ohio currently allows minors to purchase e-cigs, at least for now, according to this Dayton Daily News article. That’s gotta change. Currently only about a dozen states prohibit minors from purchasing.

In this video, the news report outlines the dangers of e-cigarette use, especially in children. Many editorials have been written, including this one from Newsday, asking states and the federal government to increase regulation to prohibit minors from purchasing e-cigarettes, just like prohibiting purchase of “real” cigarettes.

Don’t misunderstand. I don’t want to ban all e-cigarettes. I have a lot of stories from patients and stories from friends saying how much e-cigarettes have helped them cut back and/or eliminate the use of real cigarettes. The initial data from the Lancet study is hopeful, and reinforces the anecdotal stories that I have from patients and from friends.

My issue is preventing children from access to electronic cigarettes. There is a window of opportunity (legally) for tobacco companies to expose children to the nicotine experience. And, I think that the health community, as well as the general public, have to educate ourselves on this subject, and get our lawmakers to do the right thing.

Mike Sevilla is a family physician who blogs at his self-titled site, Dr. Mike Sevilla.

Prev

Delivering bad news: A vast divide between doctor and patient

September 18, 2013 Kevin 3
…
Next

Corporate wellness programs fail both companies and patients

September 19, 2013 Kevin 14
…

Tagged as: Pediatrics, Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Delivering bad news: A vast divide between doctor and patient
Next Post >
Corporate wellness programs fail both companies and patients

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Mike Sevilla, MD

  • A shout out to small hospitals

    Mike Sevilla, MD
  • How Captain Sully inspired this physician

    Mike Sevilla, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    A doctor’s first-hand account of the flu

    Mike Sevilla, MD

More in Physician

  • A step‑by‑step guide to crafting meaningful research questions

    Julian Gendreau, MD
  • How restrictive opioid policies worsen the crisis

    Kayvan Haddadan, MD
  • The dying man who gave me flowers changed how I see care

    Augusta Uwah, MD
  • How market forces fracture millennial physicians’ careers

    Shannon Meron, MD
  • Unity in primary care: Why I believe physicians and NPs/PAs must work together toward the same goal

    Jerina Gani, MD, MPH
  • Guilty until proven innocent? My experience with a state medical board.

    Jeffrey Hatef, Jr., MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why palliative care is more than just end-of-life support

      Dr. Vishal Parackal | Conditions
    • When life makes you depend on Depends

      Francisco M. Torres, MD | Physician
    • Guilty until proven innocent? My experience with a state medical board.

      Jeffrey Hatef, Jr., MD | Physician
    • Why medical notes have become billing scripts instead of patient stories

      Sriman Swarup, MD, MBA | Tech
    • How denial of hypertension endangers lives and what doctors can do

      Dr. Aminat O. Akintola | Conditions
    • A powerful story of addiction, strength, and redemption

      Ryan McCarthy, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

      Angela Rodriguez, MD | Conditions
    • COVID-19 was real: a doctor’s frontline account

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Conditions
    • Why primary care doctors are drowning in debt despite saving lives

      John Wei, MD | Physician
    • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

      Tom Phan, MD | Physician
    • Confessions of a lipidologist in recovery: the infection we’ve ignored for 40 years

      Larry Kaskel, MD | Conditions
    • mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?

      Harry Oken, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Imagining a career path beyond medicine and its impact

      Hunter Delmoe | Education
    • What is professional identity formation in medicine?

      Adrian Reynolds, PhD | Education
    • A step‑by‑step guide to crafting meaningful research questions

      Julian Gendreau, MD | Physician
    • When recurrent UTIs might actually be bladder cancer

      Fara Bellows, MD | Conditions
    • How restrictive opioid policies worsen the crisis

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors should rethink investing compared to the average U.S. investor [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why palliative care is more than just end-of-life support

      Dr. Vishal Parackal | Conditions
    • When life makes you depend on Depends

      Francisco M. Torres, MD | Physician
    • Guilty until proven innocent? My experience with a state medical board.

      Jeffrey Hatef, Jr., MD | Physician
    • Why medical notes have become billing scripts instead of patient stories

      Sriman Swarup, MD, MBA | Tech
    • How denial of hypertension endangers lives and what doctors can do

      Dr. Aminat O. Akintola | Conditions
    • A powerful story of addiction, strength, and redemption

      Ryan McCarthy, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

      Angela Rodriguez, MD | Conditions
    • COVID-19 was real: a doctor’s frontline account

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Conditions
    • Why primary care doctors are drowning in debt despite saving lives

      John Wei, MD | Physician
    • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

      Tom Phan, MD | Physician
    • Confessions of a lipidologist in recovery: the infection we’ve ignored for 40 years

      Larry Kaskel, MD | Conditions
    • mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?

      Harry Oken, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Imagining a career path beyond medicine and its impact

      Hunter Delmoe | Education
    • What is professional identity formation in medicine?

      Adrian Reynolds, PhD | Education
    • A step‑by‑step guide to crafting meaningful research questions

      Julian Gendreau, MD | Physician
    • When recurrent UTIs might actually be bladder cancer

      Fara Bellows, MD | Conditions
    • How restrictive opioid policies worsen the crisis

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors should rethink investing compared to the average U.S. investor [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

E-cigarettes: Good for adults, bad for children?
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...