WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC News) – A new report by the Center for Disease Control paints a troubling picture of rising teen tobacco use in the United States.
In the past month, more than six million middle and high school students say they’ve used some type of tobacco product.
Of those, at least 1.6 million describe their use as “frequent” or more than 20 days a month.
One in three high school students and one in eight middle school students describe themselves as current tobacco users.
For the sixth year in a row, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used product.
More than half of students who’ve tried them saying they did so because they were curious, and 22-percent said they were attracted to the flavors.
“E-cigarettes typically contain nicotine, which is not only addictive but can also harm the adolescent brain,” warns Dr. Brian King of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. It can also prime the brain for addiction to other drugs.”
The report does offer a spot of encouraging news. Among high school and middle school tobacco users, more than half say they’re seriously thinking about quitting.
Read more: https://nbcnews.to/2DQ8F2l
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