Pennsylvania Health Dept. Warns of Dangers of Using E-Cigarettes

1173
SHARE
E-Cigarette companies are cutting back on flavors of nicotine. Image courtesy of https://www.blacknote.com.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health issued a warning regarding the dangers of e-cigarettes as the number of teenagers using these devices reached epidemic levels.

In 2018, over 3.6 million youth in the United States—1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle school students—are using e-cigarettes, according to the U.S. Surgeon General.

In Pennsylvania, one in every four high school seniors reported that they used e-cigarette in a 30-day period. It means the rate of e-cigarette use among the youth in the state is higher than the national average.

E-cigarettes can cause cancer and other serious diseases

In a statement, Pennsylvania Sec. of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine said, “E-cigarettes have become a major public health issue, particularly among teens and young adults. The flavoring inside of e-cigarettes has been shown to cause cancer and other serious diseases. Normalizing smoking for young adults through e-cigarettes introduces them to a lifetime of addiction.”

E-cigarettes are part of a class of devices known as Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). Some of these devices are called e-cigars, e-hookahs, e-pipes, mods, and vape pens. They come in different shapes and sizes. The most commonly sold e-cigarette is JUUL, which looks like a USB flash drive and contains a high level of nicotine.