The trend of e-cigarette that has been circulating in the younger generation has left the parents and guardians baffled on its restrictions. E-cigarettes are usually electronic devices that run on batteries that vaporize instead of burning chemicals, which allow users to inhale nicotine or THC without the risks of carcinogens that you get in burning. E-cigarette or as it has been more knowingly called "vape" has been making a trend with the help of social media. A survey by the National Youth Tobacco in 2014 the number of teen users rising up to 13.4%, a significant rise from the previous year's 4.5%
It is a known fact that vape or e-cigarette users put THC (an active ingredient in cannabis) or pot in it, and even though the number of users have been going at it, only a small percent - 5.4 percent - of teens had used the e-cigarettes for this. A researcher in the study Meghan Rabitt Morean of Oberlin College said, "The rates seemed pretty considerable, especially in a state where sale of e-cigarettes to minors is not legal, and also cannabis use is illegal," as she and her colleagues are still running survey to verify the substance use of the youth in middle school and high school. They found out that teens are beginning to use the e-cigarette, modifying them to smoke pot, with some of them already manufactured for this purpose already such as Vape Pens.
A national poll showed that both teen and parents agreed that vape usage should have its restrictions, with the question on enforcing laws on restriction of sale of these products to people under 18 years, 93 percent of parents and 87 percent of teens agreed. More than three fourths of them also agreed that e-cigarette should be restricted in public spaces and should also be taxed like tobacco products. Eighty percent even agreed that these e-cigarettes encourage the habit of smoking tobacco products, too.
Director Matthew M. Davis of the National Poll on Children's Health said, "Just as we are seeing declines in smoking of conventional cigarettes, there has been rapid growth in use of electronic cigarettes among youth. Our poll indicates that both parents and teens agree that e-cigarettes pose several concerns."
CDC reported earlier this year that the number of e-cigarette users have significantly tripled in 2014 and 2015. E-cigarettes still contain nicotine that still poses risk on health especially in younger generation.
