According to a study published in Pediatrics there is a possible threat on the mission pertaining to the reduction of smoking habits in teens with the emergence and usage of e-cigarettes though there is no solid evidence by far to prove it.

The researchers at the University of Southern California said that about 25 percent of junior and senior children in high schools smoked e-cigarettes at least once and one student in five had smoked a traditional cigarette. The investigators also noted that about two fifth of teens that are using e-cigarettes currently have not used traditional cigarettes before, according to Forbes.

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Dr. Jessica Barrington-Trimis, the lead author of the study and a professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California said, "While it is possible that some adolescents are using e-cigarettes instead of cigarettes, our data suggest that e-cigarettes may be recruiting new tobacco product users who might not have used cigarettes," reported CSP.

She also added, "California has historically had some of the lowest rates of adolescent smoking in the country, so these results are particularly troubling and raise a lot of questions about the potential consequences of high rates of e-cigarette use for the health of adolescents."

Nearly 2,100 high school children in Southern California were surveyed by the researchers in spring 2014 on their frequency of use of e-cigarettes as well as traditional ones, according to US News. The study results showed that 9.6 percent of children currently smoked e-cigarettes and 5.7 percent smoked tradition cigarettes.  About 24 percent that never tried e-cigarettes were likely to be one among 18.7 percent teens that had smoked a traditional cigarette. It is to be noted that 40.5 percent of e-cigarette smokers haven't used traditional cigarettes ever.

Jennifer LeComte, DO, medical director of Christiana Care Health System's Transitions and Pediatric Practice suggested that lack of aggressive health awareness campaigns on the ill effects of smoking could be the reason behind teen's unawareness of health risks of smoking habit. She also added that teens won't be aware of the risks of smoking unless their paediatricians show special attention in screening their teeth.  

Tagse-cigarettes, smoking, Study