Nicotine is highly addictive, and it's been proven that smoking causes several types of cancer, heart disease, stroke and lung disease. Teens in the U.S. have apparently got the message. Smoking rates have hit new lows and, and according to new data, fewer high school students are trying e-cigarettes.
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 20% of high school students have used at least one tobacco product recently, mostly e-cigarettes. Here's what else they found:
Here’s what the survey found:
- 11.3% of high school students used e-cigarettes, down from 16 percent in 2015
- 8% of high school students smoked traditional cigarettes
- 7.7% of high school students smoked cigars
- 9.6% of high school students said they used two or more tobacco products
- 4.3% of middle school students vaped
- 2.2% of middle school students smoked cigarettes
Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, says the steep decline in youth cigarette smoking is "a public health success story of extraordinary importance."
“Our progress stems directly from implementing proven strategies, including higher tobacco taxes, comprehensive smoke-free laws, effective FDA oversight of tobacco products and marketing, well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs, and hard-hitting media campaigns," Myers added, "Like the campaigns conducted by the CDC, the FDA and Truth Initiative in recent years."
Robin Koval, CEO of the Truth Initiative, adds that it’s still crucial to "continue educating teens about e-cigarettes, especially as manufacturers seek new markets for their products."
Source: NBC News