The use of cigarettes by people under the age of 18 is decreasing – in part because the use of e-cigarettes is increasing.
That’s why the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced new regulations that prevent the sale of e-cigarettes, along with cigars, pipe tobacco and hookah tobacco, to people under 18.
The FDA cited a survey showing that 16% of high school students were using e-cigarettes, as were 5.3% of middle school students, compared to just 1.5% and 1.1%, respectively, in 2011. There are approximately three million current e-cigarette users in high school and middle school.
“We have more to do to help protect Americans from the dangers of tobacco and nicotine, especially our youth. As cigarette smoking among those under 18 has fallen, the use of other nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, has taken a drastic leap,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. “All of this is creating a new generation of Americans who are at risk of addiction.”
According to the FDA statement, smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, claiming 480,000 lives annually.
FDA Tobacco Regulations
The new rules, which go into effect in August, prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes, cigars and hookah tobacco to those under 18, require age verification via photo ID, end the distribution of free samples and ban the sale of the tobacco products in vending machines except in adults-only facilities.
Manufacturers also will be required to prove their products meet public health standards. That means all products on the market will undergo a review process, and vaping accessories will be subject to the same types of packaging and marketing restrictions that cigarettes currently face so they’re not appealing to kids, according to an article by Gizmodo.
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The FDA’s announcement was supported by public health officials, although some said the agency was too lenient.
“More work must be done now as e-cigarettes become more and more common in households and communities across the country,” the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a statement. “FDA passed up critical opportunities in this rule by failing to prohibit the sale of tobacco products coming in flavors like cotton candy, gummy bear and grape or to prevent marketing tactics that target children.”
Other restrictions may be on the way.
For example, California just raised the age for buying traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes from 18 to 21 and banned vaping in public areas, Gizmodo reported.
Tobacco Statistics
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids cited several statistics from data released by the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They included:
- Of students who had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days in 2014, 15.5% of those in high school and 11.8% of those in middle school were considered frequent users, having used e-cigarettes on at least 20 of the past 30 days.
- In 2013, there more than 263,000 youths who had used e-cigarettes but had never smoked a regular cigarette.
- About 76.8% of adult e-cigarette users also use conventional cigarettes, while the same is true for 76.3% of youths.
“At the FDA, we must do our job under the Tobacco Control Act to reduce the harms caused by tobacco,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. “That includes ensuring consumers have the information they need to make informed decisions about tobacco use and making sure that new tobacco products for purchase come under comprehensive FDA review.”
