Cigarette use among high school students is at it’s lowest since the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) began recording data in 1991, according to the 2015 YRBS released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) June 9.
Unfortunately, that same survey said that the use of e-cigarettes among high school students is rising. Since 1991 cigarette uses among high school students is down from 28 percent to 11 percent in 2015, a difference of 17 percent. E-cigarette use within the past month of being asked was reported in 24 percent of high school students surveyed.
CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D. said in the press release “Current cigarette smoking is at an all-time low, which is great news. However, it’s troubling to see that students are engaging in new risk behaviors, such as using e-cigarettes. We must continue to invest in programs that help reduce all forms of tobacco use, including e-cigarettes, among youth.”
Laura Kann, Ph.D., the chief of CDC’s School-Based Surveillance Branch said: “Health risk behaviors among youth vary over time and across the nation, making the YRBS an important tool to better understand youth. The YRBS helps us identify newly emerging behaviors and monitor long-standing youth risk behaviors over time.”
In May of this year, the Food and Drug Administration passed a rule which extends its restriction authority to all tobacco products including e-cigarettes. That rule made it illegal nationwide to sell e-cigarette products to minors.
The YRBS records other youth risk behaviors in addition to smoking. According to the survey, across 35 states the percentage of students who reported sending a text or email while driving ranged from 23-63 percent. That is an average of 42 percent of students who texted while driving nationwide.
Also on in the report was sexual activity among high school students. Currently sexually active students decreased from 33 percent in 2013 to 30 percent in 2015. Although condom usage among sexually active students also decreased from 67-57 percent from 2013-15, Kann said: “While overall trends for the 2015 report are positive, the results highlight the continued need for improvements in reducing risks among teens.”
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