MN Youth Smoking is Down, Vaping is Up
As I was scrolling through my Facebook feed this morning, I came across a disturbing article that stated that teen "vaping" or use of electronic cigarettes is on the rise, even though smoking of traditional tobacco products is down, with a 900% increase, from 2011-2015, according to a 2016 report from the Surgeon General. Over 1.7 million high school-aged children admitted to using them in the past 30 days, with 500,000 middle school aged children.
This is some scary stuff. We are trying to keep our kids from starting smoking, and it isn't easy anymore. Ninety percent of the liquids that go into e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive. And, while it used to be easy to tell if a child had been smoking, that is no longer the case. The e-cigarettes do not smell like typical cigarettes, what with flavors like tutti-fruity or cotton candy.
As a parent, I am very concerned that my child will use these products. Even if the products are marketed for adults, and you need to be 18 to purchase them in MN, it is still far to easy for a child to get their hands on them.