ASAM Praises Public Health Advisory on E-Cigarettes

The recipient of an MD from Indiana University, Dr. Kathleen Whaley has drawn on her education and her board certification in addiction medicine to care for patients at several medical facilities. Active in her field, Dr. Kathleen Whaley holds membership with the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

In December 2018, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) issued a press release praising a recently announced public health advisory. The advisory, which was issued by Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, declares that e-cigarettes have become so prevalent among US youth that their use is now considered an epidemic.

With the advisory’s release, parents, educators, and health workers will have access to information explaining the new types of e-cigarette products on the market. In addition, the advisory describes the ways in which these products harm the health of young people.

The advisory follows an April 2018 policy statement from ASAM in which the society expressed the same concerns about e-cigarette use as Surgeon General Adams. To read the ASAM’s policy statement, and to learn more about this rare move from the Surgeon General, visit www.asam.org.