CDC: e-cig use spikes among teens

Federal data released this week shows that use of e-cigarettes among middle and high school students tripled from 2013 to 2014, bringing the share of high school students who use the devices higher than those who smoke traditional cigarettes (Source: “Use of E-Cigarettes Rises Sharply Among Teenagers, Report Says,” New York Times, April 17, 2015). 

According to the data from the CDC, 13 percent of high school students use e-cigarettes. The data shows that about a quarter of all high school students and 8 percent of middle school students used some form of tobacco, an increase of 400,000 young people using tobacco products in 2014. The data shows a reverse in a years-long trend of reduced tobacco use among teens.

In February, Gov. Kasich included in his budget plan a $1 increase in the state tobacco tax. The governor’s budget also called for e-cigarettes and other tobacco products to be taxed at the same rate as traditional cigarettes. That language was removed in the House’s budget plan.

On Monday, June 1, HPIO will be hosting a forum titled “Breaking the addiction: Policy pathways toward effective tobacco cessation and prevention for all Ohioans.”