Pediatricians want tobacco, e-cigs banned for people under 21

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published October 26, 2015

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended Monday that the legal age for buying tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, be raised to 21. The organization also urged pediatricians to screen patients for tobacco use and address dependence in their parents in a series of three related policy statements.

"The developing brains of children and teens are particularly vulnerable to nicotine, which is why the growing popularity of e-cigarettes among adolescents is so alarming and dangerous to their long-term health," Karen Wilson, who chairs the AAP's Section on Tobacco Control, said in a statement.

The AAP suggested the FDA should regulate e-cigarettes the same way they regulate traditional cigarettes, Time reports. As a quitting treatment for a nicotine addiction, e-cigarettes have "failed to demonstrate their effectiveness, and there is evidence of harm from these devices," the organization said. Also, adults should not use e-cigarettes around children due to the potential for toxic chemicals in the vapor, according to the reports.