E-cigarette Risk Factors and Effects on Adolescent Health in the United States

Abstract

Despite their adverse health effects, e-cigarette use has increased considerably among adolescents (people aged 10-19 years) in the United States. This is due to a number of factors including peer pressure, the availability of a variety of e-liquid flavors, the targeted marketing of these products to adolescents, and the belief by adolescents that e-cigarettes are less harmful to health than tobacco products. Just as traditional tobacco products, e-cigarettes have been found to be harmful to health and responsible for multiple adverse health conditions in adolescents, including inhibited growth and development, poor mental health, certain cancers, lung damage, nicotine dependency, future drug use, and social stigmatization. While the United States government realizes the harmful effects of e-cigarettes on adolescents, and although it has put in place certain policies to regulate the issue, e-cigarette use continues to be a public health problem among adolescents. This article discusses e-cigarettes, their use, risk factors, and health effects on adolescents in the US. It also proposes strategies for safeguarding adolescent health.