Young parents have resorted to using e-cigarettes because they feel the device is safer for people around them despite the lack of evidence proving the same, according to a new study.
Though many health experts are of the opinion that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to regular cigarettes, there hasn't been any concrete evidence that proves the same to be true. Despite this, many young parents have resorted to using e-cigarettes because they feel the device is safer for people around them, according to a new study.
The study was conducted on 3,253 adults in September 2013. Among these, 8 percent were young adults and 22 percent were parents. Researchers noted that only 88 percent of the total sample completed the assigned survey, which asked the participants whether they had heard of electronic cigarettes and if they had ever tried them. The participants were also asked about their smoking habits - past and present.
Researchers noted that 13 percent of parents said they had used the nicotine device and 6 percent admitted to having used it in the last 30 days. What surprised researchers was that 45 percent of parents who admitted to smoking e-cigarettes and 49 percent who reported using the device in the last 30 days said that they were not former smokers nor had they ever smoked a traditional cigarette.
So what made them smoke e-cigarettes? More than 80 percent of the participants said they did so because they felt it was safer for people around them. Another 76 percent said that these electronic devices are more acceptable to non-tobacco users while 72 percent said that they preferred e-cigs because it can be used in places where smoking is otherwise prohibited.
"This study has two alarming findings," lead author Robert C. McMillen said in a press statement. "First, the risks of e-cigarette use and exposure to vapor are unknown, yet many parents report using these electronic cigarettes to reduce harm to others. Second, half of current users are nonsmokers, suggesting that unlike tobacco harm-reduction products, e-cigarettes contribute to primary nicotine addiction and to renormalization of smoking behaviors."
Only 7 percent on young parents compared to 58 percent of older adults said they used e-cigs to quit smoking. Researchers also noted that almost all young parents preferred flavored e-cigs, menthol or fruit flavors being the favorites.
The safety of using e-cigarettes has been the subject of many heated debates lately. While many argue that the device may help smokers kick the habit, others worry that it might keep smokers hooked and attract a new generation of nicotine addicts.
Very recently, the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration proposed the first set of e-cigarette rules in an attempt to curb the growing trend, which has raised serious concerns worldwide. The new rule will ban the sale of new tobacco products like e-cigarettes, flavored cigars and nicotine gels to minors
In September 2013, the CDC announced that the percentage of high school students who had tried e-cigarettes had more than doubled within a year, from 4.7 percent in 2011 to 10 percent in 2012.
Poison centers across the country have reported a sharp increase in nicotine poisoning, particularly of small children. According to the CDC, calls increased from just one in September 2010 to 215 in February 2014, with more than half involving children under 5.
Earlier this month, a group of Democrats in Congress released a report accusing e-cigarettes manufacturers of aggressively targeting minors with marketing tactics that would be illegal if used for traditional cigarettes.
The current study was funded by the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute and the American Legacy Foundation. Findings were presented May 4, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
