CDC: No decline in youth tobacco use overall since 2011

About 5.3% of middle school students and 16% of high school students reported using electronic cigarettes in the past month when surveyed in 2015, up from 0.6% and 1.5%, respectively, in 2011, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Declines in use of conventional tobacco products over the five-year period were offset by increased use of e-cigarettes and water pipes, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey. “E-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product among youth, and use continues to climb,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D. “No form of youth tobacco use is safe. Nicotine is an addictive drug and use during adolescence may cause lasting harm to brain development.”