New bill extends state restrictions on tobacco cigarettes to e-cigarettes
The approval of a bill to prevent the sale of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) to minors in Texas is an important step forward in safeguarding the health of our children, according to Ernest T. Hawk, M.D., M.P.H., vice president and division head, Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
“We are delighted the Texas Legislature stepped forward to restrict sales of e-cigarettes to minors,” says Hawk, who is also co-lead of the Cancer Prevention and Control Platform for MD Anderson’s Moon Shots Program. “We think this is an appropriate measure aimed at protecting the health of our young people.”
Recent data indicate significant growth in the use of e-cigarettes among teenagers, and there is concern that this may lead to a future generation of tobacco users.
“Regardless of the unknown health effects, e-cigarettes are fundamentally designed to deliver nicotine, a highly addictive substance which can be detrimental to developing adolescent brains and has the potential to lead to future tobacco use,” added Hawk. “Therefore, this legislation may also assist efforts across the state in reducing future tobacco use, as the vast majority of adult smokers started their habitual use as children.”
The use of e-cigarettes by adolescents is of particular concern for a number of reasons:
- There is not sufficient evidence-based research to inform whether e-cigarettes will be a healthy or harmful alternative to conventional tobacco products.
- The term “e-cigarette” signifies a large class of objects, which are generally unregulated. It is difficult to determine potential health effects of these products without being clear what ingredients are used.
It is unclear if the multitude of flavors, largely targeted at youth audiences, contain chemicals that may be harmful to adults or youth if inhaled, or if ingested by a child.
