BOH agenda 022217 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Fact Sheet (continued) Nicotine can cross the placenta and affect fetal and postnatal development. Nicotine exposure during pregnancy can result in multiple adverse consequences, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Ingestion of e-cigarette liquids containing nicotine can cause acute toxicity and possible death if the contents of refill cartridges or bottles containing nicotine are consumed. E-cigarette aerosol is not harmless. It can contain harmful and potentially harmful constituents including nicotine. Nicotine exposure during adolescence can cause addiction and can harm the developing adolescent brain. The constituents of e-cigarette liquids can include solvents, flavorants, and toxicants. The aerosol created by e-cigarettes can contain ingredients that are harmful and potentially harmful to the public’s health, including: nicotine; ultrafine particles; flavorings such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease; volatile organic compounds such as benzene, which is found in car exhaust; and heavy metals, such as nickel, tin, and lead. E-cigarettes are marketed by promoting flavors and using a wide variety of media channels and approaches that have been used in the past for marketing conventional tobacco products to youth and young adults. E-cigarettes are an estimated $3.5 billion business in the United States. In 2014, e-cigarette manufacturers spent $125 million advertising their products in the U.S. In 2014, more than 7 of 10 middle and high school students said they had seen e-cigarette advertising. Retail stores were the most frequent source of this advertising, followed by the internet, TV and movies, and magazines and newspapers. The 2012 Surgeon General’s Report on tobacco use among youth and young adults found that tobacco product advertising causes young people to start using tobacco products. Much of today’s e-cigarette advertising uses approaches and themes similar to those that were used to promote conventional tobacco products. E-cigarettes are available in a wide variety of flavors, including many that are especially appealing to youth. More than 85% of e-cigarette users ages 12-17 use flavored e-cigarettes, and flavors are the leading reason for youth use. More than 9 of 10 young adult e-cigarette users said they use e-cigarettes flavored to taste like menthol, alcohol, fruit, chocolate, or other sweets. Action can be taken at the national, state, local, tribal and territorial levels to address e-cigarette use among youth and young adults. Actions could include incorporating e-cigarettes into smokefree policies, preventing access to e-cigarettes by youth, price and tax policies, retail licensure, regulation of e-cigarette marketing likely to attract youth, and educational initiatives targeting youth and young adults. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now regulates the manufacturing, importing, packaging, labeling, advertising, promotion, sale, and distribution of e-cigarettes. • In August 2016, FDA began enforcing a ban on vending machine sales unless in adult-only facilities and a ban on free samples and sales to minors. Parents, teachers, health care providers, and others who influence youth and young adults can advise and inform them of the dangers of nicotine; discourage youth tobacco use in any form, including e-cigarettes; and set a positive example by being tobacco-free themselves. Citation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General—Executive Summary. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2016. Website: E-cigarettes.Surgeongeneral.gov U.S. Department of Health and Human Services