The AP-HP has just launched a national study to assess the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes in quitting smoking. The goal? Compare this means of weaning to drugs already used for this purpose. The electronic cigarette raises questions in France, but also in the United States, as revealed by a AFP dispatch taken over by the site of Le Monde. Especially with minors who are heavy consumers, not for reasons of withdrawal. If the United States had already mentioned it some time ago, the American health agency (FDA) officially proposed to restrict access to electronic cigarettes by prohibiting their sale on the internet, this Thursday, November 15.
Electronic cigarettes only in stores
The purpose of this measure? Limit sales in stores closed to minors. This is accompanied by a proposal to ban menthol flavor in menthol cigarettes and cigars. A taste that hides the unpleasant smell of tobacco and potentially makes smoking more attractive to young people. These proposals will only be applied after a public consultation which should last until June 2019.
The AFP dispatch taken up by Le Monde recalls that the number of young vapers in the United States is alarming. Between 2017 and 2018, the number of vapers in American high schools increased by 78%, and by 48% in colleges. Every year in the United States, 480,000 people die from tobacco-related causes, the number one cause of preventable illness and death. Currently, 16 million Americans are victims of tobacco-related diseases.
E-cigarette addiction
The problem with the electronic cigarette in this case is not so much due to its potentially carcinogenic components, but to its nicotine content, responsible for addiction. However, the FDA is concerned that this addiction will then spread to real cigarettes and make the minor vapers of today the tobacco patients of tomorrow. She recalls that very often, adult smokers started when they were minors.
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