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The impact of electronic cigarettes on the paediatric population
Insights
Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is rising among children, with limited data on health impacts. E-cigarettes pose risks like nicotine exposure and choking hazards for youth.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Adolescent Health
- Tobacco Control
Background:
- Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are increasingly popular among youth.
- Reasons for youth initiation and continued use of e-cigarettes are not well understood.
- The influence of marketing and flavored liquids on youth e-cigarette use remains unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the impact of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) on children.
- To synthesize current knowledge on youth e-cigarette use and associated risks.
Main Methods:
- Searched five electronic databases up to December 2013 for studies on children (<18 years).
- Included relevant data from literature searches, state surveys, and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adverse event reports.
- Reviewed available data on e-cigarette use, initiation, exposure, and adverse events in children.
Main Results:
- Youth e-cigarette use is increasing and extends beyond traditional smokers.
- Limited data exist on initiation reasons, marketing effects, and abuse liability in youth.
- Reports of unintentional exposures and poison center calls related to e-cigarettes are rising; data on secondhand/thirdhand aerosol exposure are absent.
Conclusions:
- Data on e-cigarette impact on children are scarce, but youth awareness and use are rapidly increasing.
- Potential risks include nicotine dependence, transition to other tobacco products, unintentional nicotine exposure, and choking hazards.
- Further research is crucial to understand e-cigarette effects on child health and public health outcomes.
Objective:
To review the impact of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) on children.
Methods:
Five electronic databases were searched through 31 December 2013. Studies in English that included data for children younger than 18 years of age were included. In addition, relevant data from articles identified during searches of the e-cigarette literature, relevant state survey data and paediatric voluntary adverse event reports submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were reviewed and included.
Results:
Use of e-cigarettes by youth is increasing and is not limited to traditional cigarette smokers. Data regarding the reasons for youth e-cigarette initiation and ongoing use are limited. The effects of e-cigarette marketing and the availability of flavoured e-liquids on youth use are unknown. The abuse liability of e-cigarettes in youth is also not known. Unintentional exposures to e-cigarettes and e-liquids have been reported in children. The number of e-cigarette-related reports received by poison centres is increasing. No data are available on secondhand and thirdhand e-cigarette aerosol exposures in children.
Conclusions:
Data on the impact of e-cigarettes on children are extremely limited. The available data indicate that youth awareness is high and use is increasing rapidly. The extent to which e-cigarette use in youth will result in nicotine dependence and subsequent use of other tobacco products is unknown. e-cigarettes present risks of unintentional nicotine exposure and are potential choking hazards. A greater understanding of the impact of e-cigarettes on children is needed and will be important in the evaluation of the effects of these products on the public health.
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