HOW TO THINK ABOUT IT

The kids are alright. Or are they? 1 in 5 U.S. high school students say they currently vape, and those numbers are rising rapidly — by 78 percent from 2017 to 2018 — even though sales are banned to anyone under 18. While e-cigarette proponents say they’re a way for adults to quit smoking, that’s clearly not the only thing that’s happening, and many worry that the gateway goes both ways and that teens who vape may be more likely to take up traditional cigarettes.

But even if they don’t. The health effects of vaping are coming under increasing scrutiny, and it doesn’t look good. The CDC announced over the weekend that it’s investigating 94 cases of severe lung illnesses across 14 states that could be linked to vaping. Some theories put forth for the sudden emergence of symptoms include that they’d been previously mistaken for other diseases, or that people are purchasing faulty or dubious vaping products. E-cigarettes have also been linked to seizures, though the health effects are still poorly understood.

Adults only. Juul CEO Kevin Burns apologized last month to the parents of kids using e-cigarettes, saying the company’s products — which accounted for more than three-quarters of the U.S. e-cigarette market at the end of last year — are only intended for adults. “I hope there was nothing that we did that made it appealing to [children],” he said. The company had previously pulled some sweet flavors and deleted social media posts to fight allegations that it was, in fact, marketing to young people.

Big dog. While Juul is 35 percent owned by Marlboro cigarette manufacturer Altria, e-cigarettes don’t have to follow the same rules as regular tobacco products when it comes to advertising. But more regulation is in the works: Last week, a vaping industry group filed suit against the FDA hoping to delay the deadline that e-cigarettes have to be submitted to the agency for approval, claiming it would bankrupt small vape companies.

WHAT TO READ

Young Students Lured to Vape Are Creating a ‘Juuling’ Epidemic, by Bonnie Halpern-Felsher in the Miami Herald
“Many of the more than 15,000 unique e-cigarette flavors have silly names, such as Honey Doo Doo, Booger Sugar and Barney Pebbles — names not exactly aimed at an adult audience.”

The FDA’s Challenge on E-Cigs, by Scott Gottlieb in the Wall Street Journal
“Not all e-cigs are equal. Policies that account for the different risks and patterns of use are our best chance to help adults quit smoking while keeping kids from picking up a deadly addiction.”

WHAT TO WATCH