Recently, the deputy director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, had this to say about electronic cigarettes, or e-cigs:
“E-cigarettes show tremendous promise as a tool for helping smokers who don’t respond to other approaches for quitting smoking. What concerns us is very recent data from the U.S. showing surprising high rates of e-cigarette use by teenagers.”
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Young people have always been drawn to the adult mystique of smoking. At a time when they are beginning to explore their independence, they are also going through physical and emotional changes that tend to make them more rebellious. Part of that process is the desire to emulate what they see adults doing.
In the old days smoking cigarettes was considered “grown up,” and even romantic. However, with the advent of more information on the dangers of smoking, it has become less acceptable for someone to light up a cigarette. As fewer adults smoked, the number of young people who smoked also declined.
However, the recent invention of electronic cigarettes had made it more socially acceptable to puff away at a nicotine-filled toy. As the official noted, e-cigs are very effective at helping smokers kick the smoking habit. The problem is that the nicotine, which is a very powerful and addictive drug, is still entering their system.
There lies the danger for young people. While they may not be smoking a cigarette, they are still exposing them to a powerful substance which can lead to addiction. At some point they will be looking for addiction treatment to help them kick the habit of their “toy.” Nicotine is still a drug that can be abused.
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