On Wednesday the FDA announced that teenage use of e-cigarettes has reached "epidemic" levels.

But while the long term impact of these devices is not yet known, doctors and scientists say there's plenty of evidence that the nicotine in e-cigarettes has several harmful impacts on young brains.

Dr. Jonathan Winickoff is a pediatrician and the Director of Pediatric Research at Massachusetts General Hospital's Tobacco Research and Treatment Center. He tells KCBS Radio anchors Stan Bunger and Susan Leigh Taylor it can cause lasting cognitive and behavioral impairment.