Experts alarmed at e-cigarette use among US teenagers

Insight

American celebrity, Jenny McCarthy, urges viewers to use electronic cigarettes brand Blu rather than a cigarette. Other brands of e-cigarettes also use celebrity endorsements.

Experts say it’s to make their products look cool and fun.

So are these efforts working and are there real dangers to this new technology?

Apparently, the answers to both questions are “yes”. CCTV America’s Roee Ruttenberg reports.

The first e-cigarette was invented nearly 15 years ago by a Chinese pharmacist named Hon Lik, who wanted a cleaner way to inhale the addictive substance.

But U.S. health officials say a growing number of e-cigarettes are now ending up in the hands of American teenagers.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, last year, three million school-aged youth used them. That’s a 20 percent jump from the previous year.


Erika Sward on teen e-cigarette users in the US

Health advocates are incredibly concerned about the industry’s growth and, in the United States, about the lack of government oversight.

CCTV America’s Mike Walter spoke to Erika Sward, assistant vice president for National Advocacy at the American Lung Association.