THE LATEST BAD HABIT
Last Wednesday, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb turned up the heat on his efforts to stop an “epidemic” of teenage vaping by threatening penalties against retailers that sell e-cigarettes to minors. FDA also warned manufacturers of a potential ban on flavored e-cigarette liquids, which contain nicotine.
The latest preliminary data from the efforts of the National Youth Tobacco Survey and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows a 75 percent increase in e-cigarette use among high school students this year, compared with 2017. Another study said 1-in-11 teenagers has tried e-cigarettes.
Much of the increase is being blamed on the popularity of a new e-cigarette that goes by the trade name Juul. It looks like a USB drive and is easily hidden from view. Their newest product comes in the shape of a teardrop and easily fits in the palm of the hand. E-cigarettes are essentially a high-tech nicotine—and in some instances, THC from cannabis—delivery system that allows for the non-combustible vapor to be inhaled by the user.
