E-cigarettes : an emerging public health challenge

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are an emerging challenge for public health. These devices are part of a growing landscape of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) that includes many different types of products, such as vape pens and e-hookahs. Despite differences in appearance, these devices are quite similar in function \ue2\u20ac\u201c they create an aerosol that can contain nicotine and other additives. Because the nicotine in these products is typically derived from tobacco, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed to regulate e-cigarettes as tobacco products. However, these proposals have not yet been implemented, and electronic cigarettes remain unregulated at the federal level.The potential long-term benefits and risks associated with e-cigarette use are not currently known. What is known is that nicotine exposure at a young age may cause lasting harm to brain development, promote nicotine addiction, and lead to sustained tobacco use \ue2\u20ac\u201c making any use of these products among U.S. youth a major concern. According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, in 2011, 1 in 20 high school students reported ever using e-cigarettes and 1 in 50 high school students reported using an e-cigarette in past 30 days. Since 2011, use of e-cigarettes among U.S. middle and high school students has increased at an alarming rate. In the 2014 survey, over 1 in 4 U.S. high school students reported ever using e-cigarettes, and more than 1 in 8 had used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days. Given these rapid increases in use, implementing proven strategies that reduce the use of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, may prevent further harm among youth in the United States.In this session of Grand Rounds, presenters explore the public health challenge of electronic cigarettes, including the surveillance and research gaps that must be addressed to assess the impact of e-cigarettes on the health of our nation.Tuesday, October 20, 2015 1pm EST.Presented by: Brian King, PhD, MPH, Deputy Director for Research Translation, Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC ["Patterns of E-cigarette Use Among U.S. Adults and Youth"]; Jonathan M. Samet, MD, MS, Distinguished Professor and Flora L. Thornton Chair, Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California ["Health Consequences of Electronic Cigarettes"]; John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH, Secretary of Health, Washington State Department of Health ["E-cigarettes in Washington State: On the Front Lines"]; Matthew L. Myers , President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids ["Attaining a Tobacco-Free Generation and the Emergence of E-cigarettes"].Facilitated by: John Iskander, MD, MPH, Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds; Phoebe Thorpe, MD, MPH, Deputy Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds; Susan Laird, MSN, RN, Communications Director, Public Health Grand Rounds.Patterns of E-cigarette use among U.S. adults and youth [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Brian A. King, p. 2-17] -- Health consequences of electronic cigarettes version of the PowerPoint presentation by Jonathan M. Samet, p. 18-29]-- E-cigarettes in Washington state: on the front lines [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by John Wiesman, p. 30-43 ] -- Attaining a tobacco-free generation and the emergence of E-cigarettes [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Matthew L. Myers, p. 44-78]