Archive for category Other Addictions
As the world continues to debate on the benefits and dangers of e-cigarette use, a recent study sheds light into the importance of parental intervention in the issue.
According to researchers from St. Louis’ Washington University School of Medicine, many children are exposed to the potential risks of electronic cigarettes because parents are unaware of the possible health problems. “These are largely avoidable risks, but because e-cigarettes are relatively new, many people – including pediatricians – aren’t aware of the dangers or the steps that should be taken to protect children from them,” according to study first author Jane Garbutt in a news release.
In their research published in the journal Academic Pediatrics, close to 660 parents and legal guardians were asked to answer a survey to determine their e-cigarette use and know-how. Results showed that majority of them are aware of electronic cigarettes, with about 20 percent having experienced using it, and 1 out of 8 declared that it’s being used by a family member on a regular basis.
Results revealed further that 36 percent of respondents who use e-cigarette do not deliberately keep the products away from children. This lack of security may be in the form of failure in keeping e-liquid refill bottles or childproofing them. In fact, 34 percent of respondents said that they store e-liquid containers in a cupboard, while 22 percent keep their liquids in a bag.
In addition, only 15 percent of the population were able to tell their children’s pediatrician about e-cigarette use in the household. The researchers believe that parents should inform their kids’ doctors from the get-go. “We strongly encourage pediatricians to ask parents about nicotine use, including e-cigarettes, and to discuss the risks of exposure,” Garbutt added.
If you are using electronic cigarettes and support e-cigarette devices, there’s a big chance that the teenagers that you know will also use them.
This was discovered through a study from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, after analyzing data from more than 2,000 adolescents who took part in the Southern California Children’s Health Study. One of the biggest factors for e-cigarette use by teenagers is the approval of their peers, with more than 90 percent of the survey respondents confirming that their friends approve of their use of electronic cigarette devices.
The study revealed that social acceptance of e-cigarettes have inclined more teenagers to use the product. According to the analysis of the survey data, “Reactions categorized as ‘very friendly’ were associated with 37 times the odds of current e-cigarette use, compared with nine times the odds of current traditional cigarette use,” as cited in a news article. “These results raise the possibility that the generally more favorable social perceptions of e-cigarettes could contribute to the ‘renormalization’ of tobacco products generally,” the authors of the study said.
One surprising discovery was that the use of traditional cigarettes was not an overwhelming factor that leads to e-cigarette use by adolescents. Results revealed that 41 percent of teenagers who used e-cigarettes at least once in their lifetime have not tried using tobacco cigarettes.
Results and other details of the research were published in the journal Pediatrics.
[ Image from TBEC Review ]
The California Department of Public Health recently released two ads that target electronic cigarettes as the industry’s new addictive and highly toxic commodity. Two videos posted on the TobaccoFreeCA YouTube page highlights big tobacco as the primary driving force behind the rise in fame of e-cigarettes. Both ads claim that “there’s a lot the e-cig industry isn’t telling us about vaping.”
The first video ad entitled “Kids Aren’t Alright” shows how kids are being lured towards the seemingly innocent and ultra-trendy reputation of the electronic cigarette. Set to the tune of “Lollipop”, the ad reveals the exploitation of big tobacco companies on kids who don’t know any better.
Me