E-Cigarettes: what you need to know: as lawmakers and scientists respond to a growing industry, there are many good reasons for teens to take a pass on this latest trend.

• Position: HEADS UP: REAL NEWS ABOUT DRUGS AND YOUR BODY

You may have seen electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in stores, in advertisements, or being used. But e-cigarettes, while increasingly popular, are not harmless. Created as an alternative to tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes are sophisticated mechanical devices designed to deliver the same highly addictive nicotine that is in tobacco cigarettes, without the other harmful effects of tobacco.

What's Happening

In the past decade, e-cigarettes have become a more than $1 billion industry in the United States, with over 460 brands on the market. Many adults who use e-cigarettes are current or former smokers looking to stop nicotine cravings, quit smoking, or cut down on tobacco cigarettes. However, e-cigarettes may not be that helpful for quitting, since at least 75 percent of adults who use e-cigarettes also use tobacco cigarettes. (1)

And although most states prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to people under the age of 18, more and more teens are using them. In fact, recent surveys (2) show dramatic increases each year in the number of teens who have tried an e-cigarette, as well as in the number who have used them in the past month. This is at a time when smoking tobacco cigarettes is at an all-time low among middle and high school students.

What's Ahead

With e-cigarette use on the rise, the federal government is considering regulation of how e-cigarettes are made and sold. If this happens, rules on safety, advertising, and warning labels may govern e-cigarettes just as they currently do for tobacco cigarettes. At this time, e-cigarettes are not guaranteed to be safe. And consumers should not assume that advertising claims are scientifically proven.

As for the science on the risk of e-cigarettes and the possible benefits for current smokers, research is just beginning. But there is already a growing body of evidence showing that teens would be smart never to start using e-cigarettes.

Research

What Are the Risks for Teens?

Nine out of 10 adult smokers started smoking tobacco cigarettes before age 18. This is because if people start smoking in their teens, when their brains are still developing, they are especially susceptible to the addictive effects of nicotine (and other drugs as well). Once someone is addicted to nicotine, it's very hard to quit. Early studies show a strong link between teens using e-cigarettes and smoking tobacco cigarettes. Researchers will continue to study e-cigarette and tobacco-cigarette use among teens, to understand...