Denver Doctor Reacts To Surgeon General's Warning About E-Cigarettes

DENVER (CBS4) - The surgeon general calls e-cigarettes an increasing risk for teenagers.

A new report finds the use of the devices, also known as vaping, is up 900 percent among high school students in the past five years.

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says they have the potential to create a new generation of nicotine addicts.

They were originally marketed as a safer alternative to smoking.

"The concern is both that this will be an easy way for teenagers to become tobacco users and also that e-cigarettes themselves may present some health problems down the road that we don't know about," explained Dr. Elisabeth Ihler, a doctor at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center.

Researchers say nicotine can affect brain development in children.

There is a push for more research on long term effects of using e-cigarettes.

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• E-Cigarettes