Use of E-cigarettes Rises Among Teenagers

Senior Katy Smith* was ready to try something new her sophomore year. As she sat in a circle at a party, she was passed an electronic cigarette for the first time and took the device to try it. The e-cigarette seemed like a rite of passage she wanted to experience. Smith’s other friends were trying it too, and blowing smoke rings with the vapor from the cigarette looked like fun.

As she inhaled the blueberry-flavored vapor, she didn’t feel like she was choking on the smoke of a real cigarette and didn’t feel a buzz like she thought she would; Smith says she just felt cool.

E-cigarettes are becoming more and more popular among teenagers, specifically high school students. According to the Center for Disease Control’s National Youth Tobacco survey, e-cigarette use has more than doubled in the past year among high school students. While many teenagers see e-cigarettes as a healthier option than real cigarettes, Dr. Abby Loche, a pediatrician at Johnson County Pediatrics, says their lack of regulation and illegal status for minors can still pose potential dangers.

Unlike real cigarettes, e-cigarettes contain no tobacco and are smoke-free. They are composed of three parts: a battery, a vaporization chamber and a cartridge filled with liquid nicotine. When the device is puffed on, a sensor is triggered and the liquid nicotine is heated by a battery, producing a nicotine-filled vapor. This vapor is then inhaled like normal smoke.

E-cigarettes were introduced to the U.S. in 2007 and according to Forbes Magazine, sales have been steadily increasing ever since. By the end of this year, e-cigarette revenue is expected to surpass $1 billion.

According to principal John McKinney, even though the e-cigarette does not emit smoke or contain tobacco, it is still against the district’s tobacco policy. Being caught in possession of an e-cigarette at East will result in a one day out-of-school-suspension.

“[E-cigarettes are against school policy because they are]against the law and unhealthy,” McKinney said.

Neither McKinney nor school resource officer Joel Porter say they have seen any cases of students in possession of e-cigarettes at East.

While e-cigarettes might not be a problem for administration on school grounds, Smith says she has seen at least 10 of her friends try smoking e-cigarettes at least once outside of school.

Senior Greg White* also says he has smoked e-cigarettes and has seen several of his friends smoking e-cigarettes. White does not know of any students who smoke them on regular basis, just every once in a while for fun.

According to Smith one of the key appeals of trying the e-cigarette were the flavors of vapor offered by the e-cigarette. Flavors range from bubblegum to grape to chocolate. Due to lack of tobacco and smoke, Smith feels that e-cigarettes are a safer option.

“E-cigarettes aren’t that bad for you,” Smith said. “They are kind of like smoking a hookah, it’s just something fun to do because they taste good.”

Dr. Loche agrees that the flavors do appeal to teenagers as well. On the contrary, Dr. Loche says the flavors can add to the danger of e-cigarettes by making the experience of smoking more pleasurable. She says this mix could result in a new generation of teenagers who are hooked on nicotine for years to come.

A laboratory analysis of the top two leading brands of e-cigarettes conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found traces of metal inside the vapor as well as cancer-causing chemicals present in their samples.

The levels of nicotine inside e-cigarettes have also caused concern among health care personnel. The FDA’s analysis found twice the amount of nicotine inside a high-nicotine e-cigarette versus a high-nicotine traditional cigarette. In addition, the FDA found small levels of nicotine inside e-cigarette cartridges labeled as containing no nicotine. Inhaling nicotine has been shown to increase risks of strokes and blood clots.

“Nicotine is addictive and your body starts to crave it,” Dr. Loche said. “With nicotine, your body feels like you almost need it.”

White says he has only seen high levels of nicotine in the more expensive brands of e-cigarettes; these brands he says are too expensive for high school students to even afford.

“They aren’t as dangerous as regular cigarettes,” White said. “If high schoolers want to smoke [e-cigarettes] then more power to them.”

Another appeal of e-cigarettes to Smith were their easy access. In Kansas, it has been illegal to sell them to minors since July 2012, but with e-cigarettes being sold online and in mall kiosks, students still have access to the devices.

According to Smith, her friends purchased e-cigarettes from gas stations that didn’t ask for I.D.

“Some gas station employees won’t ask if you’re 18 or anything,” Smith said. “They’ll just pretty much just give it to you.”

While there are restrictions on who can purchase e-cigarettes, many of the Kansas smoking bans do not apply to them. Since the e-cigarette produces vapor instead of smoke, it is permitted in areas where smoking is not normally permitted, such as restaurants and workplaces.

E-cigarettes also have different restrictions placed on them by the FDA. The devices are allowed to be flavored unlike real cigarettes, and they are permitted to be advertised on prime-time television as well. Dr. Loche believes the marketing of e-cigarettes to teens is motivated by the e-cigarette companies wanting to appeal to a newer, longer-lasting market.

“The more [the product] is in front of your brain the more you will want to use it,” Dr. Loche said. “Teenagers are an easy target.”

Faith, who could not reveal her last name due to company policy, is a cancer specialist at the American Cancer Society. According to Faith one of the key dangers concerning e-cigarettes are the fact that they are not labeled. Due to the lack of ingredients listed with electronic cigarettes consumers do not know what they are inhaling when they use one.

On Sept. 24, 40 state attorney generals, including Kansas, urged the FDA to place more restrictions on the advertisement of e-cigarettes and its appeal to minors.

The FDA is aiming to have them regulated by Oct. 31. New regulations have not been formally outlined, but restrictions are projected to be similar to regular cigarettes.

*names have been changed to protect identity