The U.S. government has taken wide-ranging steps to crack down for the first time on e-cigarettes and cigars, growing in popularity among teens, and banned sales to anyone under age 18 in hopes of sparing a new generation from nicotine addiction.
These new rules are great news for Stephen Thornton, MD, a toxicologist with The University of Kansas Hospital. He says not only are they a poisoning danger for small children, who may swallow the liquid used in these devices, but the nicotine inside may be just as habit-forming as traditional cigarettes.
In the video clips, Dr. Thornton talks about why it’s good that e-cigarettes will be regulated by the FDA, why it's necessary to restrict children from using them, what makes e-cigarettes so dangerous to children, how easy is it for kids to become poisoned by these devices, how does the vapor from e-cigarettes compare to traditional cigarette smoke and is second-hand vapor harmful?
