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Morning Briefing

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Thursday, Dec 8 2016

Full Issue

Surgeon General: E-Cigarettes Pose Grave Risk To Nation's Youth

Advocates say e-cigarettes are a good way to help ween adults off of cigarettes, but the surgeon general weighed in on the debate with a report outlining how they are a major public health concern for the young people in the country.

Soaring use of e-cigarettes among young people 鈥渋s now a major public health concern,鈥 according to a report being published Thursday from the United States Surgeon General. It is the first comprehensive look on the subject from the nation鈥檚 highest public-health authority, and it finds that e-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product among youths, surpassing tobacco cigarettes. (Richtel, 12/8)

鈥淲e know enough right now to say聽that youth and young adults聽should not be using e-cigarettes or any other tobacco product, for that聽matter,鈥 Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy said聽in an interview. 鈥淭he key bottom line here is that the science tells us the use of nicotine-containing products by youth, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe.鈥 (Dennis, 12/8)

The report joins a public debate about the potential benefits and risks of e-cigarettes, which are battery-powered devices that heat nicotine-laced liquid into a vapor. Some groups, including industry advocates and the Royal College of Physicians in the U.K., have argued that e-cigarettes should be promoted as a means to help adults quit smoking conventional cigarettes. (Maloney, 12/8)

E-cigarettes have become the most commonly used tobacco products among teens and young adults in the US, the US surgeon general said Thursday, as he called for prevention efforts to 鈥減rotect our nation鈥檚 young people from being harmed by these products.鈥 The safety of e-cigarettes, which contain nicotine and may contain other chemicals, has been a topic of heated debate, with manufacturers insisting they鈥檙e safe and public health groups insisting they聽are聽dangerous and are often a gateway to tobacco use by youth. (Thielking, 12/8)

The Surgeon General is calling electronic cigarette use among youth and young adults a 鈥渕ajor public health concern鈥 in a new report to be released聽Thursday. In what will be the first comprehensive report on how electronic cigarettes are impacting the nation鈥檚 youth, the surgeon general found that marketing has played a key role in the skyrocketing rates of middle and high school students choosing to vape. (Wheeler, 12/8)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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