Survey: More middle schoolers, fewer high schoolers are vaping

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - A new report contains good news and bad news when it comes to how many young people are addicted to tobacco or using e-cigarettes.

This report by the FDA and CDC shows e-cigarette use among high schoolers is down but among middle-school students it’s up.

The report says 1 in 4 middle and high school students who use e-cigarettes use them every single day.

This report is based off of the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey. The good news again, the survey says e-cigarette use is down by about 4 percentage points among high schoolers, falling from 14% to 10%.

That drop contributed to an overall decline in the use of any tobacco products by high school students. That fell from 17% to 13%.

For middle schoolers, the news isn’t so great, with the survey showing a roughly 2% increase in overall tobacco use.

If we combine middle and high school ages, about 1 in 10 students said they were currently using tobacco products.

There’s progress, but federal health officials say we have a long way to go.

Parents are encouraged to talk with their kids about this.

Officials want better tobacco prevention policies, like price increases, counter-marketing campaigns, and talking to kids about the risk of nicotine addiction and its lifelong impact to your health.

Copyright 2023 WBAY. All rights reserved.