e-cigarette rules great for kids

As we have posted multiple times on the Every Kid Counts Blog, e-cigarettes are dangerous for children.

The proliferation of “vape” shops across the Dayton region – and across the country – shows the increasing popularity and demand for e-cigarettes. While some see e-cigarettes as a better alternative than traditional tobacco products because they do not fill the lungs with harmful smoke, e-cigarettes and their highly addictive nicotine content pose significant threats to children. From January 1 to April 30, 2016, the National Poison Data System tracked 623 exposures to e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine alone.

In addition, the marketing of these products directly targets young children and teens increasing the likelihood that they will be exposed to and begin using tobacco. Young children may also be tempted to touch and taste, given the fruity and sweet flavors that the e-cigarette liquids contain. Parents need to be warned of this danger and to keep the product up and out of the reach of small children.

The U.S. Government and the Food and Drug Administration recently took a step in the right direction to protect children by issuing a tough set of rules for the e-cigarette industry. These rules include banning sales to anyone younger than 18, requiring package warning labels, and making all products—even those currently on the market—subject to government approval. Up until this point, the FDA did not regulate e-cigarettes as they do traditional tobacco products. With these new rules, the FDA is assuming regulatory authority over e-cigarettes. These rules will make it harder for children to gain access to these products – hopefully minimizing poison exposure and decreasing tobacco product exposure.

Eliminating the use of tobacco greatly impacts the health of children by limiting their exposure to second-hand smoke, in the case of traditional tobacco products, and potential to become addicted to nicotine.

These new regulations are positive steps forward to create a tobacco-free generation.