The coming of electronic cigarettes has raised a red flag for health officials and others who worry the task of "vaping" nicotine will hook young people into a fresh dependency which could persist for a lifetime.
In Colorado, the problem is heightened by the arrival of tobacco giant RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company. Starting this month, the maker of Camel cigarettes and other tobacco products began promoting its new e-cigarette - called Vuse - in Colorado as one-of four test markets.
"We did lots of work to make it-not cool to smoke and we'd hate to see that rolled back," said Stephanie Walton, youth policy coordinator for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Also known as personal vaporizers, e-cigarettes broke into the American market six years back. They look like smokes, but don't contain tobacco. They are actually battery-controlled inhalers that change nicotine into a vapor. The liquid, or "E-Juice" that is vaporized can carry a range of yummy-sounding flavors like cotton candy and peach and names for example "Bikini Martini" and "Choco Loco." E-cigarettes are not smoked, they are "vaped."
Various studies have long established that nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine, leaving health officials like Walton involved.
"If kids see e-cigarettes as popular and enjoyable and start using them that can cause a lifetime of nicotine addiction," she said.
Many Americans report they have not heard about e-cigarettes, however the sector is generating $500 million in revenue annually. Business is expected to surpass $1 billion annually within the next few years.
E-cigarettes are usually sold in places where tobacco products are available, including in specialty stores as well as in shopping centres. Since at least 2009, the national Food and Drug Administration has warned about potential health risks associated with e-cigarettes. Along with nicotine, the products include substances for example propylene glycol and synthetic flavors which could, the company warns, penetrate deeply into the lungs. But, the products - at least for now - are not controlled.
Over a dozen states, including Colorado, have banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. But Walton and others are worried that promotion, as well as the savory-sounding flavors, will directly attract teenagers.
"We would really love to find the FDA look into this, particularly with a few of the larger tobacco companies really taking an interest in these types of products now," Walton said.
However, many sellers who sell e-cigarettes say they promote the product as a healthier option to conventional cigarettes, and also a way to wean people from tobacco products.
Within three days of last summer's bulk shooting in Aurora, Colorado-based e-cigarette company, VeppoCig.com, provided free test kits to anyone who had been in the theatre and was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. "Above all, we are a company that cares for the well-being of our customers. We recognize they are going through a hard time and we want to help," the firm announced.
John Paul Pollock, of The Vapor Store in Golden, described e-cigarettes as "a dignified option for folks who smoke."
Nevertheless, Walton rejects comparison to other stopsmoking products - like the FDAapproved nicotine patch and nicotine-infused chewing gum. "There is not any study that shows that (e-cigarettes) are an effective cessation or stop-smoking support or device," she said.
Nevertheless, e-cigarettes are catching on global. A recent poll found that virtually ten percent of Parisian schoolchildren between the ages of 12 to 17 have tried them. There are lots of active e-cigarette forums and Facebook pages. One web site discussion in Colorado requests if individuals can "vape" in casinos within the mountain gambling city of Blackhawk and advertises meetups where fellow "vapors" can connect.
Since e-cigarettes are not a tobacco product, businesses can get around 42-year old laws that prohibit cigarette promotion. The biggest concentration of e-cigarette ads are on the web. But, with large corporations like RJ Reynolds entering the market, some predict marketing on billboards, radio and TV isn't far behind.
"By around August we should start to see important TV advertisements, in addition to on-line," said Colorado-based advertising executive Brent Green. In addition, he said, "there will be live sampling at clubs and festivals where folks gather."
Green, a critic of e-cigarettes, outlined the risks of romanticizing e-cigarettes. For instance, recently celebrity Leonardo DiCaprio was observed vaping in public.
"You show stars, you show amazing adults utilizing the item. Kids always aspire to respond and behave like adults. They want to get developed," said Green.
It really is unclear why R.J. Reynolds picked Colorado as its test market for the brand new product. During a recent news conference, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Organization president Stephanie Cordisco would simply say that "Colorado represents just one of our major states as we're rolling this out."
Company officials didn't return subsequent calls from Colorado Public News.
Even the Colorado Department of Health and Environment says it does not understand why Colorado was selected. "We are not sure why. We would like to learn," said Walton.
The Centers for Disease Control reports nearly one in five Coloradans light up, ranking the state 10th nationwide.
In Colorado, the problem is heightened by the arrival of tobacco giant RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company. Starting this month, the maker of Camel cigarettes and other tobacco products began promoting its new e-cigarette - called Vuse - in Colorado as one-of four test markets.
"We did lots of work to make it-not cool to smoke and we'd hate to see that rolled back," said Stephanie Walton, youth policy coordinator for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Also known as personal vaporizers, e-cigarettes broke into the American market six years back. They look like smokes, but don't contain tobacco. They are actually battery-controlled inhalers that change nicotine into a vapor. The liquid, or "E-Juice" that is vaporized can carry a range of yummy-sounding flavors like cotton candy and peach and names for example "Bikini Martini" and "Choco Loco." E-cigarettes are not smoked, they are "vaped."
Various studies have long established that nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine, leaving health officials like Walton involved.
"If kids see e-cigarettes as popular and enjoyable and start using them that can cause a lifetime of nicotine addiction," she said.
Many Americans report they have not heard about e-cigarettes, however the sector is generating $500 million in revenue annually. Business is expected to surpass $1 billion annually within the next few years.
E-cigarettes are usually sold in places where tobacco products are available, including in specialty stores as well as in shopping centres. Since at least 2009, the national Food and Drug Administration has warned about potential health risks associated with e-cigarettes. Along with nicotine, the products include substances for example propylene glycol and synthetic flavors which could, the company warns, penetrate deeply into the lungs. But, the products - at least for now - are not controlled.
Over a dozen states, including Colorado, have banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. But Walton and others are worried that promotion, as well as the savory-sounding flavors, will directly attract teenagers.
"We would really love to find the FDA look into this, particularly with a few of the larger tobacco companies really taking an interest in these types of products now," Walton said.
However, many sellers who sell e-cigarettes say they promote the product as a healthier option to conventional cigarettes, and also a way to wean people from tobacco products.
Within three days of last summer's bulk shooting in Aurora, Colorado-based e-cigarette company, VeppoCig.com, provided free test kits to anyone who had been in the theatre and was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. "Above all, we are a company that cares for the well-being of our customers. We recognize they are going through a hard time and we want to help," the firm announced.
John Paul Pollock, of The Vapor Store in Golden, described e-cigarettes as "a dignified option for folks who smoke."
Nevertheless, Walton rejects comparison to other stopsmoking products - like the FDAapproved nicotine patch and nicotine-infused chewing gum. "There is not any study that shows that (e-cigarettes) are an effective cessation or stop-smoking support or device," she said.
Nevertheless, e-cigarettes are catching on global. A recent poll found that virtually ten percent of Parisian schoolchildren between the ages of 12 to 17 have tried them. There are lots of active e-cigarette forums and Facebook pages. One web site discussion in Colorado requests if individuals can "vape" in casinos within the mountain gambling city of Blackhawk and advertises meetups where fellow "vapors" can connect.
Since e-cigarettes are not a tobacco product, businesses can get around 42-year old laws that prohibit cigarette promotion. The biggest concentration of e-cigarette ads are on the web. But, with large corporations like RJ Reynolds entering the market, some predict marketing on billboards, radio and TV isn't far behind.
"By around August we should start to see important TV advertisements, in addition to on-line," said Colorado-based advertising executive Brent Green. In addition, he said, "there will be live sampling at clubs and festivals where folks gather."
Green, a critic of e-cigarettes, outlined the risks of romanticizing e-cigarettes. For instance, recently celebrity Leonardo DiCaprio was observed vaping in public.
"You show stars, you show amazing adults utilizing the item. Kids always aspire to respond and behave like adults. They want to get developed," said Green.
It really is unclear why R.J. Reynolds picked Colorado as its test market for the brand new product. During a recent news conference, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Organization president Stephanie Cordisco would simply say that "Colorado represents just one of our major states as we're rolling this out."
Company officials didn't return subsequent calls from Colorado Public News.
Even the Colorado Department of Health and Environment says it does not understand why Colorado was selected. "We are not sure why. We would like to learn," said Walton.
The Centers for Disease Control reports nearly one in five Coloradans light up, ranking the state 10th nationwide.