Leonardo DiCaprio's vaping part of dangerous trend - New York Daily News

Leonardo DiCaprio's vape has been more of a constant at his side than many of his girlfriends, but it's still toxic.

The movie star, who was puffing away at the SAG Awards Saturday night, is part of a trend of those who want to smoke — but not really. DiCaprio's among the 20% of Americans between 25 and 44 using vapes.

And they're also catching fire with teens.

"We want parents to know that nicotine is dangerous for kids at any age, whether it's an e-cigarette, hookah, cigarette or cigar," CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden, said in a statement, "Adolescence is a critical time for brain development. Nicotine exposure at a young age may cause lasting harm to brain development, promote addiction, and lead to sustained tobacco use."

Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Turner
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio attends The 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium and puffs away on his constant companion, an e-cigarette.

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The battery-operated electronic cigarettes, also known as vaporizers, emit nicotine and non-nicotine-vapor, and are not exactly a healthy alternative to tobacco. They expose the lungs to toxic chemicals, compromise the immune system and make it easier for bacteria to flourish in the airways, according to a new report in the Journal of Molecular Medicine.

The vapes have become increasingly popular with middle school and high school students. In one year, the number of high school students puffing away on the fake cigs went from 660,000 to 2 million, an increase of 4.5% to 13.4%, from 2013 to 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Middle school students more than tripled their numbers, going from 1.1 % or 120,000 to 3.9% or 450,000 over the same year.

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The CDC started collecting data on the vapes in 2011, and this study, which represents the most recent numbers released in April, marked the first time the use of e-cigarettes surpassed the use of regular cigarettes.

In another study, conducted by University of California at San Diego researchers, scientists exposed mice to e-cigarette vapors for an hour a day for five days a week for a month.

Mice were infected with an antibiotic-resistant superbug. Those that had not been exposed to the vapes survived, but one-quarter of those that had, died.

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“This study shows that e-cigarette vapor is not benign; at high doses, it can directly kill lung cells, which is frightening,” Dr. Laura E. Crotty Alexander, of the USCD School of Medicine, told Medical News Today.

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