A new national study, bolstered by state statistics, indicates young people are vaping to get nicotine, while smoking cigarettes has been going down.
The American Lung Association says a study of over 5,000 California high school seniors bolsters state data that young people are using electronic smoking, called vaping, to get a nicotine hit.
Lance Boucher, the group’s state policy director, says nicotine is just as addictive however it is used.
“It’s an addictive substance,” he says. “There is no safe level of nicotine exposure. It’s just another tobacco product that is out there and getting kids addicted.”
He says more needs to be done to educate teens and younger Mainers about the health risks of vaping. He says it is marketed with flavors aimed at getting teens and even younger kids hooked, and it appears to be working in Maine.
“Hundreds of flavors, from cotton candy to atomic fireball,” he says. “There’s a market technique to get Maine kids using these products.”
