Report: American school students switch to electronic cigarettes

December 23, 2013

In USA more and more children smoke electronic cigarettes directly in the schools. For the last years popularity of these devices among pupils began growing at a record pace. As The Washington Post writes American teachers are not able to decide as of yet which methods should be used to grapple with "epidemic" more effectively.

Alarming statistics is shown in the report of National Center of disease control and prevention (CDC): in 2012 middle and senior school students started to use electronic cigarettes twice oftener than one year ago. Medics mark that such smoking type forms nicotine dependence very quickly and in the future its' followers, as a rule, switch to usual tobacco. Doctors also underline that 90 % of smokers manage to take to vicious habit in adolescence.

According to CDC report, nicotine that electronic cigarettes contain has not less harmful influence than in traditional tobacco products. It has a disastrous influence not only on general body state but also on mental activity of teenagers.

Sale of usual cigarettes to minors is strictly prohibited in the country, but as to the electronic cigarettes there are no so strict rules. Each state resolves the problem in their own way. So, in Maryland officers consider draft law that prohibits their sale to minors. In Virginia state, however, as of yet refuse this step, arguing this with the fact that there are no such prescriptions in federal legislation.

Many activists of anti-tobacco societies attract their attention on the fact that electronic cigarettes are attractive for children and teenagers because of their flavor and scent that imitates vanilla, cherry or chocolate candies. Besides, among teenagers id popular false belief that they don’t provide more health harm.

"I think that school students innocently consider electronic cigarettes safer", - declared Richard Moody, representative of organization Safe and Drug-Free Schools.

In Washington schools is now practiced new type of electronic cigarettes smoking control.

School students who are detected with this vicious habit are sent to one-day seminar about tobacco harm where, in particular, is also discussed harm of its electronic analogues. But internal order of some schools in the state prescribes to invite parents of "breakers" to director. In case, it doesn't leas to any results, students that give bad example can be even flunk out.