Fewer U.S. Kids Use Tobacco, But Numbers Still Too High Says Officials

Kids these days are the most impressionable bunch we’ve had yet. Anything you do, say, sing or rap about will light their eyes up and get their little wheels turning. And smoking hookah, cigarettes, and weed seem to be taking the lead by far. Although the number of U.S. middle and high school students who use tobacco fell from 4.5 million in 2011 to 3.6 million in 2017, that number is still far too high for federal health officials.

Nearly 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 18 middle schoolers reported current use (within the past 30 days) of any tobacco product in 2017, compared to nearly 1 in 4 high school students and 1 in 13 middle school students in 2011.

Since 2014, electronic cigarettes have been the most widely used tobacco product among both middle and high school students, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.

Of the 3.6 million middle and high school students who used tobacco products last year, 2.1 million used e-cigarettes.

The survey also showed that among children who were

Kids these days are the most impressionable bunch we’ve had yet. Anything you do, say, sing or rap about will light their eyes up and get their little wheels turning. And smoking hookah, cigarettes, and weed seem to be taking the lead by far. Although the number of U.S. middle and high school students who use tobacco fell from 4.5 million in 2011 to 3.6 million in 2017, that number is still far too high for federal health officials.

Nearly 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 18 middle schoolers reported current use (within the past 30 days) of any tobacco product in 2017, compared to nearly 1 in 4 high school students and 1 in 13 middle school students in 2011.

Since 2014, electronic cigarettes have been the most widely used tobacco product among both middle and high school students, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.

Of the 3.6 million middle and high school students who used tobacco products last year, 2.1 million used e-cigarettes.

The survey also showed that among children who were