Hallberg's Picture of Health: Why e-cigs' popularity is causing alarm

E-cigarettes' surge in popularity is a "major public health concern," says a new report from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.

The nicotine that's often inhaled from e-cigarettes is harmful to developing brains, the Surgeon General said in the report issued last week.

Plus, e-cigarettes can contain harmful ingredients like diacetyl, a flavorant that is linked to serious lung disease, the report said.

Public health officials have found some success in getting youth and the population in general off smoking, but the growth in vaping is seen as a step backward.

"I think people think this is an entirely safe product, and it's not," said Dr. Jon Hallberg, MPR News' regular medical analyst.

While some people view e-cigarettes as a way to help wean smokers off traditional cigarettes, Hallberg said the Surgeon General didn't touch that idea in his report.

However, Murthy's findings did say that there's no evidence to support the idea that vaping can "protect" young people from using cigarettes. Almost three out of five high school smokers also use e-cigarettes, the report found.

Scientists are still working to understand more completely how the ingredients in e-cigarettes affect health when they're turned into aerosol and inhaled, according to the report.

E-cigarettes' contents also typically include benzene, one of the volatile organic compounds found in car exhaust, and heavy metals like lead.