Are e-cigarettes a safer alternative to lure kids away from real cigarettes? Probably not, a new study suggests.
That study, conducted at the University of Southern California, says that kids who use vaporizers or e-cigarettes are more likely to try smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Arthur Caplan, medical ethicist at the NYU Langone Medical Center and co-host of the podcast "Everyday Ethics," said that e-cigarettes are proving to act less like deterrents and more like gateway drugs.
"There's been a lot of arguments about whether e-cigarettes get you off of smoking...or are just a way to get to nicotine or other things delivered to you," Caplan said. "I'm afraid they're starting to point toward the latter."
E-cigarettes don't contain many of the chemicals and carcinogens found in conventional cigarettes. But they still contain nicotine, which research suggests can be especially addictive for young users.
That's why, Caplan argued, lawmakers ought to think about regulating where e-cigarettes are sold, how they are advertised, and who can buy them.
"They are clearly gateways to tobacco use for some people," Caplan said.
To hear more from medical ethicist Art Caplan, tune in to Boston Public Radio above.
