E-cigarettes have recently become a focal point of public health concerns. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identified over 450 possible cases of lung illness associated with the use of e-cigarettes. Six deaths in 2019 have been associated with the use of the products.
These developments come as overall tobacco use has decreased in recent years for the population as a whole (Note: the increase in tobacco use in 2011 represents a change in survey methods).
While e-cigarettes don’t burn tobacco — they contain nicotine derived from tobacco — the products are regulated by the Center for Tobacco Products, the same division that monitors traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes. Traditional smoking rates are falling among teens, but data analyzed by the CDC suggest the rates of teenage e-cigarette use were higher in 2018 than at any point since 2011. That means overall tobacco use on the rise too.
