FDA launches e-cigarette warning campaign in schools nationwide

The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday the launch of a nationwide e-cigarette education campaign to combat the "evidence of sharply rising use among kids."

The big picture: "The Real Cost" Youth E-Cigarette Prevention Campaign is a continuation of the agency's Youth Tobacco Prevention Plan as it aims to educate teens about the dangers of e-cigarettes. The FDA is still in the process of investigating whether certain e-cigarette products from Juul and other companies are being unlawfully marketed.

The details: The Real Cost Youth E-Cigarette Prevention Campaign, which the FDA says is a nearly $60 million effort funded by fees from the tobacco industry.

• Images and messages from the campaign will be visible in high school bathrooms, which is the first time the FDA has made such a move.
• Messages will also be spread through social media.
• More than 2 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in 2017, the FDA said.

"There’s a difference between some casual use by teens – a low level of use that we’ll never fully eliminate – and widespread abuse, misuse, and addiction, to nicotine by kids. The growth in use of e-cigarettes has reached a level that’s shocking."