a Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program, Division of Developmental Medicine , Boston Children's Hospital , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.
b Department of Pediatrics , Harvard Medical School , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.
Subst Abus. 2019;40(1):7-10. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2019.1580241. Epub 2019 Mar 18.
In the past 5 years, the use of nicotine delivered through electronic cigarettes ("e-cigarettes") has sky-rocketed among adolescents and young adults. E-cigarettes, with their high nicotine content, appealing flavors, low costs, wide availability, and discreet designs threaten 5 decades of progress in the fight against tobacco use. Aside from the increased risk of subsequent use of traditional cigarettes, marijuana, opioids, and other illicit drugs, building evidence indicates that e-cigarette use also exposes youth to several acute and long-term health risks that greatly outweigh the as-yet unfounded potential benefits from the use of e-cigarettes as a smoking reduction or cessation tool in this age group. We discuss some of the latest research on e-cigarettes, highlighting risks and harms associated with their use in adolescents and young adults, and suggest opportunities for action, including the enforcement of age, sales and marketing limitations, and concerted research and public health efforts to help curb what has become a new nicotine epidemic among youth.
在过去的 5 年中，青少年和年轻人中使用通过电子烟（“电子烟”）输送的尼古丁的情况急剧增加。电子烟尼古丁含量高、口味诱人、成本低、供应广泛且设计隐蔽，这威胁到了过去 50 年来在与烟草使用作斗争方面取得的进展。除了增加随后使用传统香烟、大麻、阿片类药物和其他非法药物的风险外，越来越多的证据表明，电子烟的使用也使年轻人面临多种急性和长期健康风险，远远超过了将电子烟作为该年龄段减少或戒烟工具的尚未得到证实的潜在益处。我们讨论了一些关于电子烟的最新研究，重点介绍了与青少年和年轻人使用电子烟相关的风险和危害，并提出了一些行动机会，包括执行年龄、销售和营销限制，以及协调一致的研究和公共卫生工作，以帮助遏制在年轻人中已经成为新的尼古丁流行的现象。
