Contact: Beth Casteel, bcasteel@acc.org, 202-375-6275

WASHINGTON (Oct 11, 2016) -

American College of Cardiology President-Elect Mary Norine Walsh, M.D., FACC, responded to a new study by CNA that found that teens who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke or chew tobacco than those who do not use e-cigarettes:

"We still don't know the degree of harm that is caused by vaping itself, but this study provides a strong indication that e-cigarettes do lead to tobacco usage, which is a major detriment to public health. We hope regulators, young people, and their parents, are not taken in by the arguments that e-cigarettes are safer than tobacco products. We do not want to erode the great progress we've made in reducing heart disease and other diseases by allowing a new generation of smokers to start."

The American College of Cardiology is a 52,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more, visit acc.org.

###

< Back to Listings