E-Cig Companies Targeting Youth

A congressional report detailing electronic cigarette advertising strategies shows significant evidence that indicates that producers of the devices are targeting young people.

The report is the result of an inquiry led by Senator Richard J. Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois and Representative Henry A. Waxman, a Democrat from California, according to The New York Times.

According to the congressional report titled "Gateway to Addiction?" the findings of the analysis of data demonstrate "the need for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to act quickly to issue e-cigarette regulations."

The data is a compilation of survey data collected from electronic cigarette companies and providers in the United States.

According to the report, eight of the county's major -cigarette companies promote thier products through sponsorships and sampling events that appear to be very youth-oriented. Sampling at festivals where flavored nicotine "vapor" cartages that may appeal to teens  under the age of 18 were common in the past two years alone, with nearly 350 events featuring some kind of free sample available to teens.

According to the report, as restrictive policies are only limited to state legislation, and electronic cigarettes remain unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration, electronic cigarette policies are only limited by their own ethics. The report details even one company that does not maintain any policies barring sales to minors, despite objections from parents and policy makers.

A variance in advertising and sale policies carries over to social networking as well. According to the report, seven of the eight major companies use social networking to advertise their products and events where their products can be sampled.

The report writes, "[w]hile some companies impose age restrictions to prevent youth access to their Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube content, three companies - Eonsmoke, VMR, and Lead by Sales - do not utilize any age restriction options for social media accounts."

These are all causes for concern among senators who fear that electronic cigarettes, while not proven directly harmful to a user, could lead to a dangerous nicotine addiction among minors.

A past study published by The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics backs these claims, finding data that implies that electronic cigarettes serve as a "gateway drug" for tobacco, introducing teens to a strong nicotine habit that is later served by harmful tobacco products. The same study also found that electronic cigarettes make it harder for teen smokers to quit their cigarette habit, even when they have the intention to do so.

The congressional report was published on April 14, 2014, was conducted as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prepares a major package of tobacco control rules that would place e-cigarettes under federal regulation.

© MD News Daily.