Customers puff on e-cigarettes
Customers puff on e-cigarettes at the Henley Vaporium in New York City December 18, 2013. At the Henley Vaporium, one of a growing number of e-cigarette lounges sprouting up in New York and other U.S. cities, patrons can indulge in their choice of more than 90 flavors of nicotine-infused vapor, ranging from bacon to bubble gum.The growing popularity of e-cigarettes has not escaped the notice of the industry's critics, who have stepped up calls for new regulations, including bans on their use in public places, even though the scientific evidence about exposure to their vapors remains inconclusive. Reuters/Mike Segar

E-cigarette marketing has grown to reach a wider audience over the last few years. A large fraction of the target audience comprises middle and high school students, suggests the latest report put forward by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US.

According to the CDC report released on Tuesday, almost 70 percent of middle and high school students have access to fancy e-cigarette ads featuring celebrities and models through banners, internet, magazines, TV and newspapers. Considering the e-cigarette popularity and its increase rate of use since 2011, some health experts argue that tobacco product advertising could entice youth to use these electronic devices and tobacco.

"In 2014, more than 18 million middle and high school students saw e-cigarette ads," CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said at a press briefing, reports CBS News. "E-cigarettes are tobacco products. They contain nicotine. Nicotine is addictive and kids should not be on nicotine substances."

Frieden further said that with increased advertising, the use of e-cigarettes has also skyrocketed. Frieden considers it to be a serious problem for kids should not be using e-cigarettes at all, no matter how beneficial or detrimental is the use of e-cigarettes in adults.

The CDC based its findings on National Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in 2014. The survey, conducted among 22,000 middle and high school students, found that nearly 70 percent – or 18.3 million – of them had seen the e-cigarette marketing in some form or the other in that year.

The report further revealed the statistics surrounding the exponential growth of the e-cigarette market. From $6.4 million in 2011, the market grew to an estimated $115 million in 2014. The sales, too, have grown exponentially to about $2.5 billion in 2015.

Despite the e-cigarette manufacturers claim that their product is meant only for the adults, the device has become quite popular among the young generation. The CDC has urged states, communities and others to collaborate and make an effort to reduce the e-cigarette exposure to children.

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