Vapor emitting devices known as e-cigarettes have become a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States and have succeeded in their profits without fully knowing their long-term effects. E-cigarettes were marketed to be the scapegoat from smoking traditional cigarettes even though there was no research or proof of legitimacy of this claim. What has happened now, is that people may have succeeded in trading one addiction to another going from cigarettes to e-cigarettes and still being addicted to nicotine. Instead of weaning people off traditional cigarettes like e-cigarettes were marketed as, e-cigarettes actually lead adolescents to try traditional cigarettes within a year.
The difference with e-cigarettes is they disguise the smoke with flavors that are vaporized which fool teens into think that they are safe from getting addicted like they would with regular cigarettes. Due to the flavors that e-cigarette companies have come up, they have shown to entice younger vape users into trying them even though the legal age is 18 and older. With the packaging of e-juice directed at teenagers, appealing handheld vaping devices, and offering flavors such as cotton candy, gummy bears, or blue raspberry, one in every four high school students vape daily or have tried vaping according the to the University of California San Francisco Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.
In September, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) stepped in to put regulations on the five largest e-cigarette manufacturers, which included JUUL, Logic, Vuse, Blu, and MarkTen XL, to put a stop on selling e-cigarettes and their deceitful flavors to minors. To continue selling their products, they will have to produce plans to stop underage vaping within 60 days or risk having the sale of their products obstructed by the FDA. They are also required to provide a detailed composition that includes necessary health information regarding the use of e-juice.
The other good news for parents is that the FDA will be submitting approximately 1,500 warning letters to stores and online distributors who have illegally sold e-cigarettes to minors. Along with the letters could be fines depending on the severity of their distribution to underage users.
With the FDA starting to regulate e-cigarettes, they are also planning an anti-smoking campaign to help those who need to stop smoking and to prevent teens from trying them in the first place. With San Francisco already banning flavored e-cigarettes earlier this year, there are other cities on the cusp of doing the same to help prevent teens from abusing e-cigarettes any longer.
If you or an adolescent you know needs to get help for drug or alcohol abuse, Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center can give you the guidance that you deserve. Establishing a strong network of family and community can reinforce practices for living substance free.
Call us today to start living in your recovery: 662-598-4214