From 2013 to 2014, the global market for e-cigarettes and e-liquids has nearly doubled to $6 billion, with the U.S. accounting for nearly half that amount. That is a staggering number in sales for an otherwise relatively new product. Overall, the e-cigarette industry markets their product as the safe alternative to smoking, and even claims to help facilitate the process to quit. This increase in sales clearly indicates that their marketing is working.

Many individuals, including myself, have stood at a convenience store counter and thought, “I’ll buy an e-cigarette today. Maybe it’ll help me quit smoking, or at least it will be healthier than smoking a real cigarette.” Unfortunately, those assumptions might not be as accurate as we previously hoped.

A recent study published by JAMA Pediatrics questioned the safety of e-cigarettes. The study sampled over 45,000 children from Hong Kong with an average age of 15 years old and revealed that 40% of teenagers who smoked either traditional cigarettes or e-cigarettes suffered from various respiratory symptoms when compared to those who have not smoked either traditional or electronic cigarettes.

The troubling results did not end there. The study also compared cigarette smokers to e-cigarette smoked, and found that those who smoked e-cigarettes were more likely to have a cough and phlegm. Finally, the study also showed that the use of an e-cigarette among teenagers often leads to the use of real cigarettes.

Researchers summarized that the use of e-cigarettes will lead to a range of serious health conditions.