E-cigarettes and youth: Patterns of use, potential harms, and recommendations

Abstract

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has risen to unprecedented levels among youth in the United States. In this review, we discuss the patterns of use underlying the current youth vaping epidemic, potential harms from e-cigarette use, and the regulatory, public health, and clinical responses to e-cigarette use among youth. Between 2017 and 2018, past 30-day use of nicotine e-cigarettes among high school seniors nearly doubled, from 11% to 21%, representing the largest recorded increase for any adolescent substance use in over four decades. There are concerns that e-cigarette use could renormalize smoking behaviors, lead to the uptake of conventional cigarette use by youth, and have adverse effects in the developing brain and lungs of adolescents. Prevention and harm reduction efforts thus far have focused on policies to prevent youth access to vaping products and on public health strategies to expose the risks of youth vaping. However, it remains unclear if ongoing initiatives are sufficient to curb e-cigarette use by youth. Most health professionals agree that youth exposure to e-cigarettes needs to be addressed but feel uninformed, rely on unconventional information sources such as the media and their patients, and report that routine screening procedures concerning e-cigarettes are lacking. A coordinated effort from policy makers, public health agencies, parents, educators, health practitioners, and researchers is essential to mitigate harms from e-cigarette use in this vulnerable population.