Op-ed: There’s an ‘epidemic-level’ rise in e-cigarette use among kids. Here’s how to stop it.
The following op-ed appeared in the Lexington Herald Leader on March 5.
On Feb. 7, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a report that more than 1,550 warning letters and 240 civil money penalty actions were brought against a popular pharmacy chain for selling tobacco products to youth.
This action should remind us of an important question and admonition: What would it take for all pharmacy chains to follow CVS, a bold leader in the industry, in banning all tobacco products from their shelves?
The results of such leadership are clear: For the first time ever, U.S. smoking prevalence has dropped significantly as a result of policy strategies implemented by large corporations such as CVS. Fifty-five years ago, 42 percent of adults smoked cigarettes, and now the CDC reports smoking prevalence rates at 14 percent. However, as the cigarette market has dried up for adults, the tobacco industry has reinvented itself to bolster profit margins by attracting youth.
The CDC reports an estimated 4.9 million middle and high school students reported current (past 30 days) use of any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, in 2018. The CDC further estimated that one out of five high school students and one out of 20 middle school students use e-cigarettes. The FDA commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, has referred to these staggering statistics as an epidemic-level rise in e-cigarette use for youth.
Research has demonstrated that tobacco use is almost always initiated and established by age 18. Against that backdrop, it is critical that strong regulation for youth access is enforced sooner rather than later. Among the more than 500 e-cigarette devices on the market, the most popular today is JUUL.
Like cigarettes, JUULs contain nicotine, the poisonous and addictive chemical at the center of concern over health issues related to tobacco use. JUUL Labs’ sales increased by 641 percent since 2016 when 2 million devices were sold. One year later, sales dramatically jumped to 16 million devices.
JUUL pods come in a wide variety of flavors including mango, crème brulee and cherry and can be purchased in retail pharmacies. The sweet taste draws in youth. The addictive nicotine makes them stay. Smoking one JUUL pod is the equivalent to smoking one pack of cigarettes.
Dangerous chemicals for flavoring, such as diacetyl, have been found in JUUL pods. First discovered in factories making buttered popcorn for microwave use, diacetyl causes popcorn lung. Unfortunately, unlike stopping cigarette use where damage can be reversible, the damage to lungs from diacetyl is not reversible.
The additional chemicals found in JUULs can cause harm to brain development. This makes youth particularly vulnerable.
I applaud the FDA for monitoring, tracking and enforcing penalties on pharmacy chains to convey that more work is needed in this dangerous health issue. Helping the public and particularly our youth stay on a path to better health requires stronger regulation and advocacy.
The FDA and other regulatory bodies have a paramount role in protecting our youth, but each of us can and need to do our part to keep harmful and addictive tobacco products out of our children. Support your community and statewide efforts for smoke- and tobacco-free schools and campuses. The next time you visit CVS Health, thank them for their bold stand to pull all tobacco products from their shelves and ask yourself what else do we need to do to ensure the health and safety of our children and our communities.
