U.S. pediatricians recommend raising smoking age to 21

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a leading professional association of pediatricians in the country, on Monday recommended that the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, should be increased to age 21.

"Tobacco use continues to be a major health threat to children, adolescents and adults," Karen Wilson, chair of the AAP Section on Tobacco Control and section head of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at Children's Hospital Colorado, said in a statement.

"The developing brains of children and teens are particularly vulnerable to nicotine, which is why the growing popularity of e-cigarettes among adolescents is so alarming and dangerous to their long-term health."

In a comprehensive set of policies published in its journal Pediatrics, the AAP urged the U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems the same as other tobacco products. This includes age restrictions, taxes, bans on advertising to youth, and bans on flavored products that are particularly attractive to youth.

Child-resistant packaging is critically needed to protect curious young children from exposure to liquid nicotine, according to the AAP.

Liquid nicotine is extremely toxic, the AAP said. As little as half a teaspoon can be fatal if ingested by an average sized toddler. In 2014, there were more than 3,000 calls to U.S. poison control centers for liquid nicotine exposure, and one toddler died.

The AAP recommended smoke-free laws that already govern secondhand smoke be expanded to include e-cigarettes. That's because the aerosol emitted from e-cigarettes contains a variety of toxic chemicals, including some carcinogens and significant amounts of nicotine.

The AAP also urged parents not to use e-cigarettes around their children.

"There is no scientific evidence that supports the efficacy or safety of e-cigarettes as a tobacco dependence treatment product," it said.

"In fact, e-cigarette use among teens is associated with a higher likelihood of using regular tobacco and lower rates of smoking cessation."

In 2014, more young adults reported using e-cigarettes than any other tobacco product, according to the AAP.

To reduce the number of young people who begin to smoke or use other tobacco products, the AAP also recommended regulations that will increase prices on tobacco products.

Smoking and other tobacco products that produce toxic emission should be prohibited in all workplaces, including bars, restaurants and health care facilities, and they should be banned in places where children live, learn and play, including sidewalks, recreational and sports facilities, entertainment venues, parks, schools and dormitories, and multi-unit housing, the AAP said.

"Protecting children from tobacco products is one of the most important things that a society can do to protect children's health," the AAP wrote in its policy statement. "It is imperative that policy makers at the international, national, state, and local levels allocate resources and take action." Enditem