About this talk
Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, were originally created to provide cigarette users with a cleaner form of nicotine. However, in recent years, these and similar devices such as vapes have found a rapidly growing audience of users in teens and young adults who have never smoked before. Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, an expert in youth tobacco use and addiction, was not surprised to see vaping catch on with teens—with sleek designs, thousands of fun flavors to choose from, and a highly customizable user experience, this new way of smoking makes nicotine all the more appealing and addicting to the smartphone generation. As Suchitra puts it, “While trying to solve one huge public health problem—cigarette smoking—we may have created another colossal one.”
Our lack of vigilance around cigarette smoking in the early years led to a public health crisis, and Suchitra is determined to prevent us from repeating the same mistakes again with e-cigarettes. Tune in to her 2018 TEDMED Talk to learn more about why she is calling for more research, regulations, and a serious public education around the health consequences of vaping.
About Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin
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Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin is a highly respected professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and a leading expert on substance use in adolescents. She is a pioneer in the field of “bio-behavioral” research, which means she studies how a person’s biology and their behaviors are connected, especially concerning tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. A major focus of her work is on youth tobacco use, particularly e-cigarettes and other new products. She studies what makes these products appealing to young people and how they lead to addiction. Her research involves surveys, focus groups, and even clinical trials to find better ways to help young people quit using tobacco. She is a co-leader of the Yale Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science, a group that provides scientific information to the government to develop new tobacco laws and regulations. Because of her expertise, she has contributed to the Surgeon General’s reports and serves on the FDA’s Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee. She also holds a position in the Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology at Yale. Suchitra’s work is crucial for understanding and addressing the growing issue of substance use among youth.
