Pediatricians Call for Ban on Flavored Vaping Products to Curb the Vaping Epidemic

According to foreign reports today, pediatric resident Arjun Dipak Patel and assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, Lindy U McGee, stated that as pediatricians, they advocate for a ban on flavored e-cigarettes to curb the vaping epidemic. The following is the full text:

E-cigarettes are endangering the lives of teenagers. As pediatricians, we have witnessed it firsthand. These products go by many names, including e-cigarettes, vape pens, JUUL, puff bars, and Mr. Fog. In their most basic form, they consist of three parts: a battery, a heating element, and an electronic liquid container. The heated liquid produces aerosol, which is then inhaled, exposing users and bystanders to toxic chemicals.

The 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 14.1% of high school students and 3.3% of middle school students had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. Unfortunately, there are almost no regulations to prevent these products from falling into the hands of children. Meanwhile, e-cigarette companies target young people, offering thousands of different kid-friendly flavors, such as fruit, candy, and dessert.

Patients tell us they enjoy these flavors and would quit if they weren't available. We have seen patients swear they are only inhaling harmless flavored vapor, unaware that they are also inhaling highly addictive nicotine and toxins. Unfortunately, we have also seen healthy teenagers requiring ICU-level respiratory support due to vaping-related lung injuries. Most pediatricians have similar experiences.

The FDA has attempted to regulate these products, but more public support and funding are needed to achieve meaningful change. In 2020, certain flavored pod e-cigarettes were banned, but subsequently, e-cigarette companies exploited loopholes in these regulations to create similar products. For example, the ban on cartridge-based products led to an increase in sales of disposable products and can-based systems. Today, most young people use these disposable systems. Additionally, banning certain flavors has pushed young people toward unbanned flavors, such as menthol. While the 2020 FDA ban was ineffective, we can still complete what we have started. Together with health-focused organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Lung Association,

The evidence of the harmful consequences of e-cigarettes is rapidly increasing. The chemicals that make up the flavors were originally used as food ingredients, not for inhalation. Many studies have found that e-liquids contain carcinogenic acrolein and formaldehyde, as well as other hazardous chemicals. In a recent scientific statement, the American Heart Association linked e-cigarettes to systemic inflammation, vascular changes, increased blood pressure, and irreversible lung damage. There are concerns that adolescent e-cigarette users may never fully realize their lung potential.

Companies selling these products claim their existence is to help adult smokers quit; however, there is no evidence that adults need fruit and candy flavors to quit smoking. These flavors "pose a significant risk in terms of appeal, absorption, and use among young people; in contrast, data shows that tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes do not have the same appeal to young people," according to a recent FDA announcement. Young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to become traditional cigarette smokers in the future, exacerbating this risk. This will have devastating effects, including an increase in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, heart attacks, and strokes.

E-cigarettes are delivering toxic chemicals to our youth at an alarming rate, and one of the main drivers attracting young people to use them is the enticing flavors. As a society, we have significantly reduced youth use of traditional cigarettes over the past few decades, and it is time to do so again. In 2009, the U.S. banned the addition of flavors to traditional cigarettes. Banning all flavored e-cigarettes will be an important next step.