BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- American middle and high school students now prefer e-cigs and vaping to any other tobacco product.

“They think it is safe. They think it’s harmless, it’s a harmless high,” said UB nursing professor, Nancy Campbell-Heider.

The jury is still out on the long term dangers of vaping compared to traditional cigarettes, but doctors all agree there’s enough data now to keep it away from patients.

“We do know for a fact that there’s enough toxic chemicals, harmful chemicals and cancer causing chemicals in the vapor, in the smoke that is being inhaled right now to make it a bad idea for children and adults,” said Dr. Steve Lana of Delaware Pediatrics.

Campbell-Heider, who is also a license nurse practitioner, is urging doctors to get nosy when it comes to vaping, and ask teen patients about their habits.

“Vaping is starting to make smoking normal behavior again. I mean we’ve gotten rid of smoking. You don’t see smoking, you can walk into a restaurant and not have to worry that someone is smoking next to you. But vaping is not necessarily disallowed,” she told News 4.

What’s often called a safe alternative to smoking, she said, is just as dangerous and irresponsibly marketed.

E-cigs are allowed to be advertised on TV and billboards; traditional tobacco advertising was banned there in ’98.

The FDA recently cracked down on e-cigarettes, upping regulations for the products.

“What’s concerning to me is the rate at which adolescents and pre-adolescents are starting to be introduced to this and unfortunately it’s because there’s flavors that are added; chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, to sort of make it seem like it’s innocent or it’s like candy, and it’s not,” said Dr. Lana.

Research shows calls to poison control centers around the country have skyrocketed in recent years due to young children getting into vaping refills.