Teens Have Easy Access to E-Cigarettes Online
A new study has revealed that teenagers in the US have easy access to e-cigarettes through multiple online platforms. In a report published in the JAMA Paediatrics, teenagers who are part of the study were 94 per cent successful when it came to buying e-cigarettes online. This particular development is disappointing when you consider the sales of e-cigarettes is banned in over 41 states in the US.
Lead researcher Rebecca Williams from the University of North Carolina enlisted the help of 11 teens between the ages of 14-17 years for the study. Only five attempts out of a total 98 were rejected on the basis of being underage. In addition to that, the teens were also not required to provide age proof documents during delivery. Instead, the package was just left at the door step of the recipients.
Williams said, "It is likely easier for many teens to buy e-cigarettes online than in a corner store, where they might be faced with a request for ID."
Many researchers are not surprised by this development. In fact, a lot of e-cigarettes companies are nowadays going out of their way to appeal to teenagers with a range of products and flavors, some of which include bubble gum, grape, mint, cherry and cotton candy.
According to paediatric pulmonogist, Harold Farber, "Ninety percent of adult smokers start before age 18. The industry knows very well that in order to get their next generation of customers, they need to get them before they become adults. We're seeing the e-cig industry follow the tobacco industry's playbook."
The study concludes, "In the absence of federal regulation, youth e-cigarette use has increased and e-cigarette sellers online operate in a regulatory vacuum, using few, if any, efforts to prevent sales to minors. Even in the face of state laws like North Carolina's requiring age verification, most vendors continue to fail to even attempt to verify age in accordance with the law, underscoring the need for careful enforcement."
