More than 6 million middle and high school students were currently using tobacco product in 2019, according to National Youth Tobacco Survey data released Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The survey found that 1 in 3 high school students and around 1 in 8 middle school students are current tobacco users, meaning they had used the product at least once in the 30 days.
For the sixth year in a row, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among high school and middle school students. More than 55% of students reported using e-cigarettes only. Other tobacco products used by students included cigars, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, hookahs and pipe tobacco.
More than 53% of high school students and more than 23% of middle school students reported ever trying a tobacco product.
“Our Nation’s youth are becoming increasingly exposed to nicotine, a drug that is highly addictive and can harm brain development,” CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield said in a statement. “Youth use of any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe.”
Kristen Rogers – CNN – DECEMBER 5, 2019.
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