aGameOfThrones
01-28-2015, 04:16 PM
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California health officials on Wednesday declared electronic cigarettes a health threat that should be strictly regulated like tobacco products, joining other states and health advocates across the U.S. in seeking tighter controls as "vaping" grows in popularity.
The California Department of Public Health report says e-cigarettes emit cancer-causing chemicals and get users hooked on nicotine but acknowledges that more research needs to be done to determine the immediate and long-term health effects.
New generations of young people will become nicotine addicts if the products remain largely unregulated, California Health Officer Ron Chapman said. Last year, 17 percent of high school seniors reported using e-cigarettes, known as vaping, according to the report.
"Without action, it is likely that California's more than two decades of progress to prevent and reduce traditional tobacco use will erode as e-cigarettes re-normalize smoking behavior," the report says.
E-cigarettes heat liquid nicotine from cartridges into inhalable vapor without the tar and other chemicals found in traditional cigarettes. People who use e-cigarettes can adjust their nicotine levels and use the same cartridge for an extended period of time.
California banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors in 2010, but the report raises concerns about the products appeal to children with flavors such as cotton candy and gummy bear. Reports of children under 5 with e-cigarette poisoning jumped from seven in 2012 to 154 last year.
View galleryFILE - In this Dec. 4, 2013, file photo, John Hartigan, …
FILE - In this Dec. 4, 2013, file photo, John Hartigan, right, proprietor of Vapeology LA, sits behi …
The California report says e-cigarettes emit as many as 10 toxic chemicals, but advocates say there is no evidence those substances are released at dangerous levels.
http://news.yahoo.com/california-declares-electronic-cigarettes-health-193512952.html
The California Department of Public Health report says e-cigarettes emit cancer-causing chemicals and get users hooked on nicotine but acknowledges that more research needs to be done to determine the immediate and long-term health effects.
New generations of young people will become nicotine addicts if the products remain largely unregulated, California Health Officer Ron Chapman said. Last year, 17 percent of high school seniors reported using e-cigarettes, known as vaping, according to the report.
"Without action, it is likely that California's more than two decades of progress to prevent and reduce traditional tobacco use will erode as e-cigarettes re-normalize smoking behavior," the report says.
E-cigarettes heat liquid nicotine from cartridges into inhalable vapor without the tar and other chemicals found in traditional cigarettes. People who use e-cigarettes can adjust their nicotine levels and use the same cartridge for an extended period of time.
California banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors in 2010, but the report raises concerns about the products appeal to children with flavors such as cotton candy and gummy bear. Reports of children under 5 with e-cigarette poisoning jumped from seven in 2012 to 154 last year.
View galleryFILE - In this Dec. 4, 2013, file photo, John Hartigan, …
FILE - In this Dec. 4, 2013, file photo, John Hartigan, right, proprietor of Vapeology LA, sits behi …
The California report says e-cigarettes emit as many as 10 toxic chemicals, but advocates say there is no evidence those substances are released at dangerous levels.
http://news.yahoo.com/california-declares-electronic-cigarettes-health-193512952.html