E-Cigarette Use Among U.S. Youth Keeps Climbing, Report Shows

Past-month use of e-cigarettes among high schoolers skyrocketed nearly 80% since 2017, and among middle schoolers, nearly 50%, according to the 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYST). Theresults were published Thursday in theMorbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.E-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes) are battery-powered devices that heat and vaporize a liquid containing nicotine that is derived from tobacco and typically, fruit or candy flavors. In 2018, just over 1 in 5 high schoolers (3.05 million students) and 1 in 20 middle schoolers (570,000 students) reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days.The considerable increase in overall youth tobacco use —the highest in seven years—reversed a recent decline in overall use, according to the report. In fact, 27% of high schoolers reported current use of any tobacco product (38% increase from 2017), and 7% of middle schoolers (29% increase) did so.The data were collected for the annual report from March to May 2018; it is a cross-sectional, voluntary survey conducted by paper and pencil in schools aimed at determining the prevalence of past-month use and frequency of use of various tobacco products, including flavored products.“These new data show that America faces an epidemic of youth e-cigarette use, which threatens to engulf a new generation in nicotine addiction,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in astatement. The rise prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to announce plans to issue ...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Alex Azar E-cigarettes JUUL menthol cigarettes Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report National Youth Tobacco Survey Source Type: research