American Vaping Association Challenges A Study From The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention

The CDC and AVA went head to head recently after reports suggested that teens were more likely to smoke if they first tried vaping. CDC stands for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. AVA refers to the American Vaping Association.

American Vaping Association Explained

American Vaping Association logoThe AVA was formed to provide “positive media advocacy for vaping and electronic cigarettes” according to their website. Their non-profit organization is not a charity, but formed to educate and provide vapers with the means to access public relations.

They are based in New Jersey. Vapers found it necessary to start their own advocacy body as a result of much ignorance and negative press surrounding this smoking alternative.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The CDC as an organization is what it sounds like, and in their opinion, e cigs pose a threat to the health of teenagers. In particular, they believe teen vapers are more than twice as likely to become smokers.

A Study of Teenagers

The CDC conducted a survey in which they asked teens how likely they would be to try smoking if they vaped. Findings, however, were overbalanced against e cigs as a result of survey reporting methodology. They decided that when a student selected “not likely” to try smoking, this was the same thing as “likely” to start smoking. The AVA takes issue with their representation of data.

As far as the AVA is concerned, this has artificially elevated the negativity of the CDC’s research study. The American Vaping Association calls this deceptive reporting. They believe the CDC deliberately misrepresented their findings.

Much More to Learn

There is much more to learn about e cigs and their potential dangers, particularly where children are concerned. The AVA has wisely not come out saying there is no risk — that would be unwise, a deliberate misrepresentation from the vaping side.

Studies do show that sales and use of e cigs to teenagers under the legal vaping age have risen substantially, just as the entire organization has grown considerably. No one knows for sure how many teenagers have vaped already, but the allure of cherry- and strawberry-flavored e-juice is undeniable. So is the cool-factor of vaping.

Many teenagers smoke cigarettes regardless of age restrictions. Would they have tried smoking instead of using electronic cigarettes? If so, vaping has possibly saved them from illness or death. If not, e cigs have the potential to cause harm, particularly if these young vapers become addicted to nicotine, a poison associated with heart disease.


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