Pediatricians Call for Vape Regulation
The American Academy of Pediatrics released an updated policy statement, “
E-Cigarettes and Similar Devices.
” The policy, published in the February 2019 issue of
, outlines the dramatic increase in teen e-cigarette use, explores the health effects of e-cigarettes and nicotine addiction, and renews the Academy’s call for immediate federal regulation to eliminate youth access to these products. “It took decades to raise awareness of the deadly effects of smoking and traditional tobacco use,” said Brian P. Jenssen, MD, FAAP, Policy Chair of the
AAP Section on Tobacco Control
and lead author of the new statement. “Today, we know that e-cigarettes are dangerous for children and teens. We have a chance to protect this generation, but we need to act now.” In the statement, AAP makes the following recommendations:
- FDA should act immediately to regulate e-cigarettes and ban the sale of the products to people under 21 years old.
- Internet sales of e-cigarettes and e-cigarette solution should be banned.
- Efforts should be made to reduce youth demand, by banning characterizing flavors (including menthol) in e-cigarettes.
- Advertising and promotion of e-cigarettes that are accessible to youth should be banned.
- E-cigarettes should be incorporated into current tobacco-free laws and ordinances where children and adolescents live, learn, play, work and visit.
- Pediatricians should screen for e-cigarette use, counsel about health effects and should not recommend e-cigarettes as a treatment option for tobacco cessation.
“E-cigarettes need stronger federal regulations to prevent youth access and use,” said Susan C. Walley, MD, FAAP, co-author of the statement and Chair of the AAP Section on Tobacco Control. “The research is clear that teens are at higher risk of transitioning to traditional cigarettes even with experimental use of e-cigarettes.”
The associated files and links are available below.