The American Academy of Pediatrics is pushing for pediatricians to be more proactive in keeping youth from becoming addicted to nicotine through the use of electronic cigarettes. “E-cigarettes are the most common tobacco product used among youth,” Brian Jenssen, MD, policy chair of the AAP Section on Tobacco Control and Susan Walley, MD, chair of the section, wrote in recommendations for pediatricians and policy makers regarding the use of e-cigarettes and similar devices. These recommendations were published in0 Pediatrics.
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“To prevent children, adolescents, and young adults from transitioning from e-cigarettes to traditional cigarettes and to minimize the potential public health harm from e-cigarette use, there is a critical need for e-cigarette legislative action, and counterpromotion to help youth live tobacco-free lives,” the authors continued.
To that end, AAP is making a series of recommended actions by pediatricians. First, they are calling for pediatricians to screen for e-cigarette use and exposure and to provide prevention counseling in clinical practice.
Second, the organization is calling on pediatricians to provide counseling that areas where youth spend time – including homes, cars, schools, and other places – should have “comprehensive tobacco-free bans that include e-cigarettes as well as combustible tobacco products.”
Finally, pediatricians should never recommend e-cigarettes as a tobacco-dependence treatment product.
AAP in the guidance document also made a series of policy recommendations, including calling on the Food and Drug Administration to regulate e-cigarettes as they do traditional tobacco products; ban the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under 21 years of age; ban all flavored e-cigarettes, including menthol; ban advertising of e-cigarettes that is accessible to youth; tax e-cigarettes similar to traditional cigarettes; and incorporate e-cigarettes into current tobacco-free laws and ordinances.
Dr. Jenssen and Dr. Walley also call for more research to inform public policy and understand health effects.
“Additional research is needed to understand the trajectory of addiction among youth and the progression to combustible tobacco products,” they wrote. “Studies are needed to determine if and how e-cigarettes may be effective for smoking cessation; these trials must be carefully designed and adequately powered. Finally, research is needed to evaluate effective countermessaging and public health interventions.”
SOURCE: Jenssen B et al. Pediatrics. doi: 10.1542/peds.2018-3652.