Science and tech spotlight : e-cirgarettes Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Vaping -- adverse effects Why this matters. With millions of teens and young adults using e-cigarettes, a new generation could become addicted to nicotine and face other health risks. For some adult smokers, e-cigarettes may offer a less harmful substitute for traditional cigarettes. However, long-term effects on users, second-hand exposure, and environmental effects are not yet fully known. What is it? Electronic cigarettes--or e-cigarettes--are battery-powered devices that convert a liquid, usually with nicotine, into an inhalable aerosol. They are designed as an alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes. First introduced in the United States about 15 years ago, e-cigarettes have evolved from disposable, single-use products to more sophisticated devices that can be refilled and customized (fig. 1). E-cigarettes are popular among teens and young adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2019, nearly 28 percent of high-school students and 11 percent of middle-school students reported using e-cigarettes. About 8 percent of young adults ages 18 to 24 reported using e-cigarettes in 2018. [Washington, DC] : United States Government Accountability Office, June 2020 United States. Government Accountability Office, issuing body. Technical Report Text Illustrations 1 online resource (1 PDF file (2 unnumbered pages)) nlm:nlmuid-9918250307106676-pdf 9918250307106676 http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918250307106676 English United States The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0