WASHINGTON POST: When a teacher noticed what looked like smoke rising in her Eastern Middle School classroom one day this fall, she quickly investigated, finding an eighth-grade boy holding an e-cigarette.
The “smoke” was vapor, but for Casey B. Crouse, principal at the Silver Spring school, the episode was the first signal of what she would learn is a troubling teen trend nationally: An increasing number of students using electronic devices that simulate tobacco smoking…
Like combustible traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes typically contain nicotine, which has been shown to interfere with adolescent brain development, according to the CDC. The devices are widely seen as an option that is less harmful than conventional smoking, and one that doesn’t have the same odor. The Food and Drug Administration, which is seeking to regulate the devices, says further research is needed to assess potential health benefits and risks… (more)
EDITOR: Ban them for youths. Quick!
