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Youth

E-Cigarette Use Surpasses Traditional Cigarettes in Youth, American Heart Association Warns

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As the American Heart Association (AHA) urges the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to finalize its tobacco deeming rule, a new survey reveals that e-cigarette use has surpassed all other tobacco products among the nation's youth. The 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that e-cigarettes have tripled in use among high school and middle school students since 2011. The AHA is concerned that this trend, fueled by the tobacco industry's aggressive marketing tactics, poses a significant public health risk for heart disease, stroke, and premature death.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) found that e-cigarette use has surpassed all other tobacco products among youth, with 3.9% of high school students and 1.1% of middle school students using e-cigarettes in 2014.
  • The use of e-cigarettes has tripled among high school and middle school students since 2011.
  • The tobacco industry has employed tactics to addict a new generation, including appealing flavors, easy access, and alluring ads featuring celebrity pitches.
  • The American Heart Association (AHA) urges the FDA to extend current advertising and marketing restrictions to children for all tobacco products under its final rule.
  • The AHA also requests that the FDA ban kid-friendly e-cigarette flavors, which are added at a rate of over 250 per month.
  • Age verification practices must be applied to Internet sales of e-cigarettes to prevent underage kids from getting hold of these tobacco products.

Statistics:

  • 3.9% of high school students and 1.1% of middle school students used e-cigarettes in 2014 (NYTS, 2014)
  • The use of e-cigarettes has increased by 3 times since 2011 among high school and middle school students (NYTS, 2014)
  • Over 250 new e-cigarette flavors are added every month (AHA, 2023)
  • The tobacco industry's aggressive marketing tactics are suspected to be responsible for the increase in e-cigarette use among youth (AHA, 2023)

Sources:

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2014). 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). Retrieved from [www.cdc.gov][1]
  • American Heart Association (AHA). (2023). Editorial Contact: editorial@plusmediasolutions.com

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