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Health unit says e-cigarette usage in teens is 'concerning'

Studies find around 10 per cent of teens have tried e-cigarettes in the past year 
E_cigarettes
The results from a new study on teen use of e-cigarettes in the Niagara region, and past studies on usage across Ontario, are concerning, says the Sudbury and District Health Unit. File photo.

The results from a new study on teen use of e-cigarettes in the Niagara region, and past studies on usage across Ontario, are concerning, says the Sudbury and District Health Unit.

“It is a concern because this is basically an unregulated product and we know there are some associated risks,” said Francine Brunet-Fechner, a public health nurse with the Sudbury and District Health Unit. “We do not know enough about the long-term effects of e-cigarettes on one's health, but also on the health of others who are around those users.”

A study the Canadian Medical Association Journal published July 18 found that 10 per cent of Grade 9 students in the Niagara region have tried e-cigarettes at least once.

The study surveyed more than 2,000 Grade 9 students from the region about their usage of e-cigarettes and tobacco products.
“They (e-cigarettes) have quickly gained popularity despite limited evidence regarding the health risks associated with their use and a lack of regulation,” the study said.

The 2015 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, published by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, found that 11.7 per cent of Ontario students from grades 7 to 12 have tried e-cigarettes at least once in the past year.

The percentage represents around 107,800 students across Ontario.

More Grade 11 students said they had tried e-cigarettes at least once in the past year than any other grade, at 19.7 per cent. 

The province's Electronic Cigarettes Act, which was enacted on Jan. 1, 2016, prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 19.

Because e-cigarettes are still relatively new, most health organizations around the world agree more research is needed to understand their health effects.
Research is also limited on the effectiveness of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. 

“There's recognition of its potential, but because it's not regulated it's really difficult to evaluate,” said Brunet-Fechner.

Because research is limited, the health unit does not recognize e-cigarettes as a viable smoking cessation method.

But a 2015 study from Public Health England said, “Smokers who have tried other methods of quitting without success could be encouraged to try e-cigarettes to stop smoking.”

The same study said best estimates show that e-cigarettes are 95 per cent less harmful than regular cigarettes.  

@jmigneault


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Jonathan Migneault

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