Pat McKone, American Lung Association
E-cigarettes are addicting a new generation to nicotine. Since 2014, e-cigarettes have been the #1 tobacco products used by youth. It’s a crisis of youth addiction that is a result of thousands of kid-friendly flavors and massive doses of nicotine.
The 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) reported over 2.1 million kids used these devices in 2023. It is estimated more than 4,300 kids (under 18) try e-cigarettes daily.
Scope of the problem:
- Many youth are using these products most days or every day, a sign they are becoming addicted. More than 70 percent of youth who use e-cigarettes in MN show signs of nicotine dependence.
- Flavors are at the core of this problem. Close to 90% of youth use flavored products – fruit, candy, sweet, mint and menthol among the most popular. In Minnesota, one in seven 11th graders uses e-cigarettes, and 88 percent of those students use flavored e-cigarettes.
- Disposable and menthol e-cigarettes are on the rise, two categories of products that were left behind under current federal regulation.
Resources for youth, parents and educators:
- American Academy of Pediatrics – https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/tobacco-control-and-prevention/e-cigarettes-and-vaping/
- American Lung Association – www.lung.org
- My Life My Quit – www. mylifemyquit.com
- Truth Initiative – This is Quitting www.truthinitiative.org/our-top-issues/vaping-issue
- Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids –www.tobaccofreekids.org
