Study shows more young non-smokers trying e-cigarettes

Atlanta – The number of youth who had never smoked but used electronic cigarettes has more than tripled in two years, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers analyzed data from CDC’s National Youth Tobacco Surveys from 2011 to 2013. They found that more than 263,000 youth who never previously smoked used e-cigarettes in 2013, an increase from 79,000 in 2011. Additionally, non-smoking youth who used e-cigarettes were found to be almost twice as likely to smoke conventional cigarettes in the future.

The electronic devices have a nicotine-containing vapor but lack certain harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke.

The American Heart Association on Aug. 25 stated that e-cigarettes should be subject to laws that apply to tobacco products and called for a ban on marketing and selling e-cigarettes to youth.

The World Health Organization on Aug. 26 urged strict regulation of e-cigarettes, including banning indoor use, advertising and sales to minors.

The CDC study was published online Aug. 20 in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research.