Skip to main content
Logo for WebMD
Logo for WebMD
  • Check Your Symptoms
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find Lowest Drug Prices
  • Health
    A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Health A-Z

    Common Conditions

    • ADD/ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Arthritis
    • Cancer
    • Cold, Flu & Cough
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Eye Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Lung Disease
    • Pain Management
    • Sexual Conditions
    • Skin Problems
    • Sleep Disorders
    • View All

    Resources

    • Symptom Checker
    • Expert Blogs and Interviews
    • Podcasts
    • Message Boards
    • Questions & Answers
    • Insurance Guide
    • Find a Doctor
    • Featured Topics

    • woman with migraine Slideshow Get Help for Migraine Relief
    • knee joint illustration Slideshow Things That Can Hurt Your Joints
  • Drugs &
    Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements

    Find & Review

    • Drugs
    • Supplements

    Tools

    • Manage Your Medications
    • Pill Identifier
    • Check for Interactions

    Drug Basics & Safety

    • Commonly Abused Drugs
    • Taking Meds When Pregnant
    • Featured Topics

    • assorted vitamins Slideshow Vitamins You Need as You Age
    • berry and yogurt on spoon Slideshow Supplements for Better Digestion
  • Living
    Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Living Healthy

    Diet, Food & Fitness

    • Diet & Weight Management
    • Weight Loss & Obesity
    • Food & Recipes
    • Fitness & Exercise

    Beauty & Balance

    • Healthy Beauty
    • Health & Balance
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Oral Care

    Living Well

    • Women's Health
    • Men's Health
    • Aging Well
    • Healthy Sleep
    • Healthy Teens
    • Fit Kids
    • Featured Topics

    • doughnut and avocado Slideshow Which Food Has More Saturated Fat?
    • walking sneakers Quiz Do You Know the Benefits of Walking?
  • Family &
    Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy

    All About Pregnancy

    • Getting Pregnant
    • First Trimester
    • Second Trimester
    • Third Trimester
    • View All

    Parenting Guide

    • Newborn & Baby
    • Children's Health
    • Children's Vaccines
    • Raising Fit Kids
    • View All

    Pet Care Essentials

    • Healthy Cats
    • Healthy Dogs
    • View All
    • Featured Topics

    • new mom and baby Expert Blog Dangers After Childbirth -- What to Watch For
    • woman with question marks Quiz Tips for Success ... Things Every Teen Should Know
  • News &
    Experts
    News & Experts
    News & Experts

    Health News

    • Will Fish Oil Supplements Help Your Heart?
    • CDC: Flu Season Is Not Over
    • Blood Test May Help Find Pancreatic Cancer
    • Could Gut Bacteria Feed Depression?
    • Breakfast May Not Be the Key to Weight Loss, After All

    Experts & Community

    • Message Boards
    • Expert Blogs
    • News Center
    • Featured Topics

    • emergency room entrance WebMD Investigates Lives Lost When ERs Break the Law
    • man using computer mouse Newsletters Sign Up to Receive Our Free Newsletters
  • Mobile Apps
  • Subscriptions
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • My Profile
    • My Tools
    • My WebMD Pages
    • My Account
    • Sign Out

    Smoking Research and Studies Home

    • Medical Reference
    • Features
    • Video
    • Slideshows & Images
    • Quizzes
    • Health Tools
    • News Archive

    Smoking Cessation Home

    • News
    • Reference
    • Quizzes
    • Slideshows
    • Videos
    • Message Boards

    Related to Smoking Cessation

    • Quit-Smoking Assessment
    • COPD
    • Emphysema
    • Heart Disease
    • Hypnosis
    • Lung Cancer
    • Lung Disease
    • Oral Health
    • Stress Management
    • Substance Abuse & Addiction
    • Smoking Cessation
    • Videos

    CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden on E-Cigarettes

    Video Transcript

    Hansa Bhargava, MD: Hi, I’m Dr. Hansa Bhargava from WebMD and I’m joined today by Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC. Thank you for being here, Dr. Frieden. The use of e-cigarettes has gone up rapidly, especially in middle school students and teens. What do you think are the potential health effects now and long term?

    Tom Frieden, MD: We’re really worried about what’s happening with e-cigarettes and kids. And nearly 2 million kids have tried e-cigarettes, and e-cigarettes are a form of nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive, especially for the adolescent brain. Many of these kids have tried e-cigarettes first. While we don’t have definitive proof that they’re going to be at increased risk of smoking traditional cigarettes, I think the burden of proof here is on the e-cigarettes. Any tobacco product is considered harmful until proven safe. Not the other way around.

    Hansa Bhargava, MD: Is there anything that parents should be concerned about in view of the fact that poisonings have also gone up, especially in the age group of 0-5?

    Tom Frieden, MD: We’ve seen an increase in poisonings from e-cigarettes. We’ve also seen an increase in poisonings from other products in the household. That’s why it’s so important to keep all medications and all potentially harmful substances out of the way of kids, particularly young kids. That includes not only young, prescription medications, but other things that may be harmful. And not only prescription medications for young kids, but we’re also seeing a terrible epidemic of prescription opiate overdose, and it’s so important that doctors limit these medications to when they’re absolutely necessary and that families keep them out of reach of all children, in fact all people for whom they are not prescribed.

    Related Videos

    Editor's Picks

    • woman with cup of coffee

      Video

      The Truth About Coffee
    • tongue scraper and tongue

      Video

      5 Ways to Beat Bad Breath
    • couple having sex in bed

      Video

      Why Orgasms Feel Good

    Latest Videos

    Top Picks

    • Pipes & Cigars: Less Harmful Than Cigarettes?
    • 6 Reasons to Cut Your Tobacco Habit
    • How Smoking Affects Your Looks
    • Quit Tobacco: Is Cold Turkey the Best Way?
    • Free Tools to Stop Smoking
    • 5 Steps to Stub Out Your Smoking Habit

    further reading

    • Smoking Infographic: Know the Facts
    • Slideshow: Surprising Ways Smoking Affects Your Looks
    • Video: How to Quit Smoking
    • How I Quit Smoking
    • Who Is at Risk From E-cigarettes?
    • Can E-cigarettes Help Smokers Quit?
    • Health Effects of E-cigarettes
    • Smoking Research and Studies Topics

    Today on WebMD

    hands breaking a cigarette

    13 Tips to Stop Smoking

    Is quitting cold turkey an effective method?

    ashtray

    Ready to Quit Smoking?

    14 tips to get you through the first hard days.

    smoking man

    11 Ways Smoking Affects Your Looks

    Surprising impacts of tobacco on the body.

    cigarette smoke

    Quit-Smoking Quiz

    What happens when you kick the habit?

    Recommended for You

    Filtered cigarettes ARTICLE

    Why Is Smoking So Addictive?

    an array of e cigarettes ARTICLE

    E-Cigarettes Pros and Cons

    human heart ARTICLE

    How Smoking Harms Your Heart

    Woman experiencing withdrawal symptoms ARTICLE

    What Is Nicotine Withdrawal?

    man smoking cigarette ARTICLE

    Secondhand Smoke and Its Risks

    no smoking sign VIDEO

    Stop Smoking, Forever

    Woman ashing cigarette in ashtray ARTICLE

    4 Reasons Why You Might Smoke

    chain watch ARTICLE

    Hypnosis: Does It Work?

    Tools & Resources

    • Are Menthol Cigarettes Safer?
    • Helping Loved Ones Stop Smoking
    • Tips to Ease Nicotine Withdrawal
    • 4 Keys to Staying Smoke-Free
    • How to Quit Smoking For Good
    • What Causes a Smoking Relapse?

    Health Solutions

    • Why the HPV Vaccine is Important
    • Targeted Cancer Therapy
    • Penis Curved When Erect
    • How Immunotherapy Fights Cancer
    • Overcoming Breast Cancer
    • Dupuytren’s Treatment
    • Customized Cancer Care
    • Personal Cancer Care
    • Cancer Breakthroughs
    • Caregivers: Don't Forget Your Needs
    • The Science of Addiction
    • Find Cancer Specialists
    • Specialized Gynecologic Oncologists
    • Improving Digestion
    • Bent Fingers?
    • Heal Dry, Cracked Skin

    More from WebMD

    • How Severe Is Your Psoriasis?
    • Live Better With MS Assessment
    • What Is Endometriosis?
    • Acute Myeloid Leukemia
    • How Does Chemo Work?
    • Stuck Inside? Snow Day Activities
    • Beat Crohn's Flares
    • Are You Sleeping Correctly?
    • Managing Diabetes at Work
    • 4 Reasons Prostate Cancer Can Spread
    • Avoid Allergy Triggers
    • Treating Advanced Prostate Cancer
    • Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer
    • Test Your MS Care Routine
    • What's New in Psoriasis Research
    • Where Breast Cancer Spreads
    • Logo for WebMD
      • Visit WebMD on Facebook
      • Visit WebMD on Twitter
      • Visit WebMD on Pinterest
    • Policies

      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Policy
      • Editorial Policy
      • Advertising Policy
      • Correction Policy
      • Terms of Use

      About

      • Contact Us
      • About WebMD
      • Careers
      • Newsletter
      • Corporate
      • WebMD Health Services
      • Site Map
      • Accessibility
    • WebMD Network

      • Medscape
      • Medscape Reference
      • MedicineNet
      • eMedicineHealth
      • RxList
      • OnHealth
      • WebMDRx
      • First Aid
      • WebMD Magazine
      • WebMD Health Record
      • Dictionary
      • Physician Directory
    • Our Apps

      • WebMD Mobile
      • WebMD App
      • Pregnancy
      • Baby
      • Allergy
      • Medscape

      For Advertisers

      • Advertise with Us
      • Advertising Policy
    • URAC Seal
    • TRUSTe
    • TAG Registered Seal
    • Honcode Seal
    • Adchoices

    © 2005 - 2019 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.

    WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

    See additional information.