Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton, is urging the nation’s youth to resist using e-cigarettes and vaping because of the high health risks associated with them.

Some of the risks come from the fact that most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive and especially toxic to a developing fetus.

Nicotine exposure can be harmful to the brain development of adolescents and young adults. While e-cigarette aerosol can contain chemicals that are harmful to the lungs.

In a message at the World No Tobacco Day Youth Forum at The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston on Wednesday, Tufton highlighted the worrying trend of vaping among young people, pointing out that “smoking tobacco products harms nearly every organ of the body including the lungs and can have deadly consequences not only for the user but for those exposed to second-hand smoke.”

The minister, whose message was delivered by Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Paulette Spencer-Smith, further highlighted that young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke cigarettes as adults, proven by several international studies.

He said the ministry is concerned about the increased reports of the use of e-cigarettes or vaping by youth and children which have heightened the ministry’s focus on reducing tobacco use and ensuring healthy lifestyle practices.