Houston doctors share concerns over e-cigarettes

HOUSTON, TX - Houston doctors are seeing a disturbing trend with the popularity of vaping. A new report shows that one in 20 adults now use vaping and e-cigarettes. Approximately 10.8 million American adults are currently using e-cigarettes, and more than half of them are under 35 years old, a U.S. study suggests.

As Dr. Eric Bernicker, a Thoracic Medical oncologist with Houston Methodist Hospital explains the trend has serious consequences. "First of all, nicotine is highly addictive. When middle schoolers, high schoolers, and young adults are using this,  their teenage brain is uniquely sensitive." 

"Stay away from them--e-cigarettes," said Dr. Bernicker advised.  The other problem is that the study reveals kids who vape will ultimately convert that addiction to smoking.

One in three e-cigarette users are vaping daily, researchers report.

E-cigarettes containing nicotine can be addictive like traditional cigarettes. Even without nicotine, some research suggests that flavorings and other ingredients in e-liquids used for vaping could be linked to serious breathing problems.

Overall, 1.4 percent of people in the study who never smoked traditional cigarettes used e-cigarettes, as did 7.6 percent of ex-smokers and 14.4 percent of current smokers.

Men vaped more often than women; 5.9 percent of men reported current e-cigarette use compared with 3.7 percent of women.

People with chronic medical problems like heart disease, cancer, asthma and breathing disorders were also more likely to vape than individuals without these common health issues.