E-cigarettes: Where do we stand?

[freemexy]

E-cigarettes: Where do we stand?
Electronic Cigarette are increasingly being used as a nicotine alternative as smokers seek ways to kick their habit. They work by heating a pure liquid called e-juice -- composed of flavorings, propylene glycol, glycerin and often nicotine -- until it vaporizes. The resulting vapor is much less offensive to both smokers and non-smokers.

But their use has become controversial due to a lack of evidence on their efficacy as anti-smoking aids, warnings about possible long-term health effects and numerous studies showing that teen use is a direct gateway to traditional cigarette smoking.The latest salvo: Concerned with an "epidemic" surge in e-cigarette use by adolescents, the Food and Drug Administration took regulatory action against more than 1,300 US retailers and five major manufacturers for their roles in perpetuating youth access to e-cigarettes.
Calling it "the largest coordinated enforcement effort in the agency's history," the FDA told Juul and four other major manufacturers to provide plans to control sales to minors within 60 days or face potential criminal or civil action. The agency also plans to look closely at how kid-friendly e-juice flavors may be contributing to the spike in use.
"E-cigs have become an almost ubiquitous -- and dangerous -- trend among teens," FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said. "The disturbing and accelerating trajectory of use we're seeing in youth, and the resulting path to addiction, must end. It's simply not tolerable."
Science and public policy have bounced back and forth for over a decade, as different studies produce different -- and sometimes contradictory -- results. Let's take a look at the debate over the years: