Don't Be Fooled: E-Cigarette Companies and the Revitalized Attack on America's Youth

This Perspective will try to first dispel the misconception that e-cigarettes are harmless by introducing current research on their dangers, especially with regard to teenagers. It will awaken young consumers to the marketing tactics of tobacco companies who rely on friendly flavors to re-attract teenagers to smoke. It will also present viable legal solutions that have proven successful in the past in curtailing tobacco companies' attempts to seduce America's youth to smoke. Ultimately, this argument will impress upon Congress and the FDA the necessity of regulating e-cigarettes as traditional cigarettes by: 1) prohibiting the flavoring of e-cigarettes, 2) prohibiting advertisement geared toward young people, and 3) initiating a media campaign informing teenagers of the dangers of e-cigarettes.