Most Young Adults Think E-Cigs Are Safe

Young adults, including young parents, believe that electronic cigarettes are perfectly safe to use, despite a lack in research proving their safety, according to the preliminary results of a new study.

The results were presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Vancouver, Canada on Sunday.

According to the researchers behind the study, 3,253  adults were surveyed in 2013. Of those adults, approximately eight percent  were 10 to 245 years of age, and 22 percent of that group were young parents.

The survey reportedly asked questions that helped researchers measure factors of public trust in electronic cigarettes, including use rates and belief about the safety of the devices.

The results reportedly showed that over 8o percent of young adults believed that electronic cigarettes were better for them than regular cigarettes, even among those who had never used the devices. The researchers also discovered that 13 percent of young parents had tried electronic cigarettes, often citing the reasoning that electronic cigarettes do not have the second-hand-smoke consequences that traditional tobacco smoking has.

Interestingly, 100 percent of the young adults surveyed who had tried electronic cigarettes reported using menthol or fruit flavored varieties, despite the fact that some experts suggest that these varieties may contain dangerous toxins. Half of these users had never been tobacco smokers.

It is important to note that this survey took place in 2013 -- when the relatively new devices and liquid nicotine faced very few product limits, and prior to recent Food and Drug Administration regulation concerning electronic cigarettes.

Authors of the study report that their study implies two "alarming" conclusions. First, that adults are using electronic cigarettes because they are "safe" even when there is no evidence actually indicating this; and second, that electronic cigarettes are not seen as an option for smokers, but a new habit to pick up for anyone -- producing a new opportunity or citizens to develop a nicotine addiction.

These findings were to be presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Vancouver, Canada on May 4th.

It is suggested that they be considered preliminary until they've been published in a peer reviewed journal.

In related news, other recent preliminary findings have shown that some e-cigarette devices and vaping habits may produce carcinogens.