BATON ROUGE — Early data suggest prolonged vaping may harm long-term lung health.

This was a small study that looked at 22 people ages 21 to 35 who smoked e-cigarettes. Researchers tested their lung function twice about a year apart.

Researchers tracked how much air a person could blow out in 1 second and found that measure dropped significantly. The researchers said a decline like this could be a risk factor for respiratory conditions like COPD.

Doctors say the risk can be even higher in younger populations. The American Academy of Pediatrics has called youth use of e cigarettes a significant public health concern.

The latest CDC data shows that more than 1.6 million middle and high school students vape. Most of them use flavored or disposable e cigarettes and some may not be authorized by the FDA.

Federal law restricts nicotine products to only those who are over the age of 21. Resources for quitting vaping include counseling and quit programs and a doctor can discuss treatment options.