SAN DIEGO — State health officials Wednesday called for tighter regulation of electronic cigarettes and announced an educational campaign to combat their use.

Officials argued that the rising popularity of electronic cigarettes soon would undermine California’s leadership in reducing tobacco use, Los Angeles Times reported.

Addressing “vaping” by minors and young adults, the fastest-growing group of users in the state, will be a key focus, California’s Department of Public Health said.

According to the agency, e-cigarette use among young adults California tripled between 2012 and 2013.

“I’m advising Californians, including those who currently use tobacco, to avoid using e-cigarettes,” state health officer Dr. Ron Chapman said during a conference call following the document’s release. “E-cigarettes … re-normalize smoking behavior and introduce a new generation to nicotine addiction.”

Chapman did not provide specifics about the campaign. The department also issued an advisory recommending healthcare providers do more to educate the public and parents.

The battery-operated devices often look like traditional cigarettes. They work by heating and aerosolizing a liquid which may contain nicotine that users then inhale. The vapor does not contain some of the dangerous components of tobacco smoke.

One question is whether e-cigarettes help smokers quit or simply get more people hooked on nicotine, which exposes them to a different set of toxic chemicals. There is debate over whether vaping devices are in fact a danger, as the health effects have not yet been comprehensively studied.

The state’s report, citing several studies, concluded that there was “no scientific evidence that e-cigarettes help smokers successfully quit traditional cigarettes or that they reduce their consumption.”

However, proponents said e-cigarettes can help smokers kick their tobacco habits. They called the state’s position “irresponsible.”

Read the full story on LATimes.com.

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