WASHINGTON – Lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation to educate the public about and call attention to the risks of vaping. It would also allow the FDA to better regulate the vaping market.
Vaping is increasing in popularity among youth, especially middle and high school students. In 2020, nearly three million high school students and over half a million middle school students said that they use e-cigarettes, according to a CDC report.
Dr. Laura Crotty Alexander, a pulmonologist and vaping expert who has been researching e-cigarettes for eight years, said that vaping is not a safe alternative to conventional tobacco. She asserts that what makes e-cigarettes attractive among youth is the variety of flavors, including fruit, candy, and mint.
However, e-cigarette advocacy groups consider e-cigarettes to be a safer alternative to smoking combustible tobacco cigarettes and a method to help smokers quit. “Vapor products… generally offer people who smoke something that is more enjoyable than their cigarettes,” said Alex Clark, CEO of Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association.
This month, the World Health Organization issued a report that emphasized the dangers of vaping and explained the progress that countries are making in protecting their citizens from smoking.
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