Electronic or E-cigarettes have proliferated in the past year. Originally, these devices were designed to ease the transition from nicotine addiction and help in smoking cessation. As more cities, counties and states have banned smoking in …public places, the E-cigarette offers an alternative to smoking.

As with any well-intended change, there’s always a dark side. The number of nicotine exposures in children has tripled in the past year, according to the National Poison Data System. Just a tablespoon of nicotine oil can be lethal to children up to 60 pounds.

These new devices are not just harmful to children. E-cigarettes may make bacterial infections resistant to antibiotics. The new cigarettes function by heating liquid nicotine, which in turn converts to a vapor. This smokeless process delivers a cocktail of toxic chemicals to the body. A recent study in the scientific journal Circulation exposes the risks of E-cigarettes that may include conditions such as asthma, stroke, heart disease and diabetes.

Contrary to popular belief, E-cigarettes do not release a harmless cloud of water vapor. Further studies are being conducted on second hand effects of this new habit. Regardless of these studies, the real risk is to our youth. The E-cigarette companies are using aggressive marketing tactics reminiscent of the 1950’s and 1960’s in this unregulated industry. More than a third of young users of E-cigarettes have never smoked a conventional cigarette. Help spread the word to others with children as this unregulated and potentially lethal habit expands to greater populations.