Answer Addiction

Tag: teen smoking

  • Teen Vaping Has Doubled Since 2017

    Teen Vaping Has Doubled Since 2017

    The dramatic increase, along with with recent reports of vaping-related lung disease and deaths, has led the NIDA to declare a public health crisis.

    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) put out a news release on Wednesday announcing preliminary data on teen use of e-cigarettes or “vape pens.” The preliminary data found that e-cigarette use has more than doubled since 2017.

    The 2019 Monitoring the Future Survey looked at vaping rates from American 10th and 12th graders and found that this year, one in four 12th graders and one in five 10th graders had vaped in the past month.

    These numbers represent an alarming jump from 2017, in which 11% of 12th graders and 8% of 10th graders reported vaping within the past 30 days. The 2019 data was also the first year to measure the prevalence of daily use, finding that 11.7% of 12th graders and 6.9% of 10th graders report vaping every day.

    Numbers are also up among 8th graders, 9% of whom reported vaping within the past 30 days in 2019—up from 3.5% in 2017.

    A Public Health Crisis

    The dramatic increase, along with with recent reports of vaping-related lung disease and deaths, has led NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow to declare a public health crisis.

    “With 25% of 12th graders, 20% of 10th graders and 9% of eighth graders now vaping nicotine within the past month, the use of these devices has become a public health crisis,” said Volkow. “These products introduce the highly addictive chemical nicotine to these young people and their developing brains, and I fear we are only beginning to learn the possible health risks and outcomes for youth.”

    E-Cigarette Sellers Targeting Teens

    Sellers of e-cigarettes, especially those that include flavoring and come in colorful packaging, have been accused of attempting to attract underage customers.

    Regardless of intent, multiple studies have made it clear that underage nicotine use is up largely in connection with flavored vape products. Some teens have reported that they accidentally consumed nicotine by using these products while assuming that they were nicotine-free, only smoking them for the flavoring.

    “Parents with school-aged children should begin paying close attention to these devices, which can look like simple flash drives, and frequently come in flavors that are appealing to youth,” said University of Michigan lead researcher Dr. Richard Miech. “National leaders can assist parents by stepping up and implementing policies and programs to prevent use of these products by teens.”

    The full findings from the 2019 Monitoring the Future Survey will be released in December.

     

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • School To Begin Random Nicotine Testing To Combat Teen Vaping

    School To Begin Random Nicotine Testing To Combat Teen Vaping

    The school is also considering installing “Wi-Fi-enabled sensors” in bathrooms and locker rooms to detect vapor or “sounds associated with smoking.”

    A new school district policy in a rural Nebraska community illustrates the wider concern over teenage vaping.

    Starting this fall, as the new school year begins, some public school students at Fairbury Junior-Senior High School (FJSHS) will be subject to random nicotine testing, as the school district tries to dampen the popularity of e-cigarettes.

    Superintendent of Fairbury Public Schools Stephen Grizzle—who called vaping a “widespread epidemic”—discussed the new policy with the New York Times. He said they have observed rising incidents of vaping on school grounds—classrooms, restrooms, locker rooms and more.

    In one year, Fairbury Junior-Senior High School saw a steep rise in disciplinary incidents involving nicotine—mostly vaping. The number rose from seven incidents in the 2017-2018 school year, to 30 incidents in the 2018-2019 school year.

    “We are really wanting this to be a preventive, proactive measure,” Grizzle said. “We are not wanting to punish kids. We are wanting to give them a reason to say no.”

    The policy only applies to students participating in extracurricular activities like sports and marching band—who already have agreed to random drug testing for illicit or performance-enhancing drugs.

    About 60% of kids at FJSHS—which serves almost 400 students in grades 7-12—participate in extracurriculars. Under the new policy, 20-25 of these kids will be randomly selected once a month for a drug screening conducted by the school nurse.

    If they test positive, they will suspended from participating in extracurricular activities for 10 days. If they fail a second nicotine screening, they will be suspended for 45 days and must pay for themselves to attend substance abuse counseling. For a third offense, they will be forced to sit out of extracurriculars for 12 months.

    Apparently this policy isn’t the school district’s only “bright” idea. According to the Times, they are also considering installing “Wi-Fi-enabled sensors” in bathrooms and locker rooms to detect vapor or “sounds associated with smoking.”

    E-cigarettes were originally marketed as a tool to quit smoking, offering an alternative deemed safer than combustible cigarettes. However, it’s become increasingly popular among young people.

    As a result the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been cracking down on e-cigarette companies in the name of reducing and preventing youth vaping.

    “In enabling a path for e-cigarettes to offer a potentially lower-risk alternative for adult smokers, we won’t allow the current trends in youth access and use to continue, even if it means putting limits in place that reduce adult uptake of these products,” said former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in a 2018 statement.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Mitch McConnell Pushes To Raise Minimum Smoking Age To 21

    Mitch McConnell Pushes To Raise Minimum Smoking Age To 21

    The Kentucky senator seeks to reduce smoking among America’s youth by barring all tobacco products, including vapes, until age 21.

    U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is proposing a bill that would raise the smoking age from 18 to 21. His proposal, to be introduced in May, will affect all tobacco products, including the now immensely popular vapes.

    McConnell’s home state of Kentucky is home to both a thriving tobacco industry as well as some of the highest rates of cancer in the United States. By the count of the American Cancer Society, lung cancer was responsible for about 66% of cancer deaths in Kentucky between 2012 and 2016.

    McConnell’s plan would hold retailers responsible for ensuring that all tobacco-purchasing customers are of age.

    The senator believes vaping is “the most serious threat” and hopes that raising the buying age will prevent more of these devices from being passed down to middle- and high-schoolers from their slightly older counterparts.

    Preventing teens from getting hooked early is important as almost 9 out of 10 cigarette smokers tried it before they become 18 years old, according to the CDC. Vapes seem to have exacerbated the problem, considering over 3 million high-schoolers used e-cigarettes in 2018—a 78% increase from 2017.

    “I hope my legislation will earn strong, bipartisan support in the Senate,” said McConnell. “I’m confident many of my colleagues will agree that protecting our young people from starting tobacco use at an early age can have remarkable, long-term health benefits for Kentucky and the country.”

    The bill will exclude those who serve in uniform.

    Altria, the producers of Marlboro, say they “strongly supports raising the legal age of purchase for all tobacco products.”

    McConnell’s idea isn’t novel. Twelve states have already moved to raise the smoking age to 21. According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Maryland and New York are also set to enact similar laws.

    But according to one Hawaiian lawmaker, raising the age to 21 just isn’t good enough. State Representative Richard Creagan wants to eventually make it illegal for anyone under the age of 100 to get tobacco products.

    “We don’t allow people free access to opioids, for instance, or any prescription drugs. This is more lethal, more dangerous than any prescription drug, and it is more addicting, said Creagan, “We, as legislators, have a duty to do things to save people’s lives. If we don’t ban cigarettes, we are killing people.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • FDA Wants To Ban Menthol Cigarettes

    FDA Wants To Ban Menthol Cigarettes

    The Food and Drug Administration believes that flavored products are too appealing to teens.

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is moving to restrict the sale of flavored e-cigs and cigars as well as ban menthol cigarettes outright.

    Last Thursday, the FDA released a detailed proposal for its proposed policies. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the move is meant to stop teens from picking up smoking. These three flavored products are popular with young people, making it too easy to start smoking thanks the sweet or cool flavors.

    “Today, I’m pursuing actions aimed at addressing the disturbing trend of youth nicotine use and continuing to advance the historic declines we’ve achieved in recent years in the rates of combustible cigarette use among kids,” explained Gottlieb.

    Cigarette smoking rates are lower than ever in the United States, but thanks to vaping being massively popular, nicotine addiction remains an imminent threat to youths today.

    Particularly concerning to the FDA is a 78% increase in e-cigarette use among high schoolers and, alarmingly, a 48% increase in e-cigarette use among middle schoolers between 2017 and 2018.

    “These data shock my conscience,” said Gottlieb.

    Menthol has long been a target of the FDA. Public health officials believe that thanks to the menthol counteracting the harshness of the smoke, menthol cigarettes make it easier to start smoking.

    “I believe these menthol-flavored products represent one of the most common and pernicious routes by which kids initiate on combustible cigarettes,” Gottlieb said.

    The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) supported the FDA’s endeavor to ban menthol cigarettes as they are popular among black Americans.

    “For decades, data have shown that the tobacco industry has successfully and intentionally marketed mentholated cigarettes to African Americans and particularly African American women as ‘replacement smokers,’” an NAACP statement read.

    Cigarette manufacturers predictably did not warm up to the idea.

    “We continue to believe that a total ban on menthol cigarettes or flavored cigars would be an extreme measure not supported by the science and evidence,” the Altria Group Inc., which produces Marlboro Menthol, wrote in a statement.

    Anti-smoking advocates like Matthew Meyers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, welcome the move but believe a total ban on flavored e-cigs would do much more to stop teens from getting hooked on nicotine.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Juul Faces Criticism, Concerns Amid Rising Success

    Juul Faces Criticism, Concerns Amid Rising Success

    The company is accused of marketing its product to teens. 

    Arguably the most well-known e-cigarette on the market, Juul has seen skyrocketing sales in the past year, increasing 800%. But the success of the company isn’t without concern.

    According to CNBC, Juul founders James Monsees and Adam Bowen, both former smokers, initially started a company called Ploom, which later became known as Pax Labs. In 2015, they introduced Juul, a type of e-cigarette. Two years later, it broke off into its own company called Juul Labs.

    The team that initially created Juul was made up of about 20 people on a $2 million budget, CNBC states. Since then, the product has seen exponential growth. Today, the company is valued at $15 billion and makes up about 75% of the e-cigarette market.

    “What we realized is people don’t want a safer cigarette, they want to move past cigarettes,” Monsees told CNBC. “It’s hard to imagine an area that can be more powerful to public health in particular than to eliminate cigarettes from the face of the earth. It is one of the most successful consumer products of all time, if not the most successful, and yet it kills more than half of all people that use them long term. We always intended to build this company around the idea of making cigarettes obsolete. We knew Juul would be the way to do that.” 

    Juul contains about 40 milligrams of nicotine per cartridge. It works by vaporizing a liquid containing nicotine salts which is then inhaled by the user.

    “There’s a lot of misunderstanding about this category and about nicotine,” Bowen told CNBC. “Many people think that it’s deadly, a serious disease agent—when really alone, nicotine is quite benign. It’s a mild stimulant, and is habit-forming and can lead to dependence, and for that reason alone, no non-smoker should ever touch this product.”

    While Juul’s growth has been widely successful, it hasn’t been without obstacles. The company has faced various lawsuits, as well as new FDA regulations. 

    “If you’d have interviewed me two years ago, I’d have said they’re maybe 25% as dangerous as a cigarette,” Stanton Glantz, UCSF Center for Tobacco Control and Education Director, told CNBC. “Now, I think they’re somewhere between three-quarters as dangerous as a cigarette and as dangerous.” 

    A main criticism of the product is that it appeals to youth. One reason for this is that Juul comes in a variety of flavors. Additionally, it appears as compact as a flash drive, making it possible for kids to bring into schools without raising suspicions.

    “Kids who use them have more asthma, more days off school,” Glantz told CNBC. “There is evidence linking them with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other diseases. Addiction is not a phase, it’s not something kids grow out of.”

    Juul’s early marketing was also accused of being problematic due to making the product appealing to youth with its social media-based campaigns. Now, the company has shifted to marketing by using testimonials from adult users of the product.

    Both founders Monsees and Bowen say it’s important to focus on tobacco use prevention among youth, and have invested $30 million into that cause.

    Juul must submit its product to the FDA for review by August 2022.

    “We estimate we switched over a million smokers to Juul in just three years, but there are about 38 million left in the U.S. so there’s still a lot of room to grow,” Bowen told CNBC.

    Juul Labs released the following statement to The Fix: 

    JUUL Labs’ mission is to eliminate cigarette smoking by offering existing adult smokers with a better alternative to combustible cigarettes. JUUL is not intended for anyone else. We strongly condemn the use of our product by minors, and it is in fact illegal to sell our product to minors. No minor should be in possession of a JUUL product.

    Our goal is to further reduce the number of minors who possess or use tobacco products, including vapor products, and to find ways to keep young people from ever trying these products. We approach this with a combination of education, enforcement, technology and partnership with others who are focused on this issue, including lawmakers, educators and our business partners.

    Nicotine is addictive. An individual who has not previously used nicotine products should not start, particularly youth. Recent science raises serious concerns about the adverse effect of nicotine on adolescent neurodevelopment.

    We encourage parents to talk with their children about the dangers of nicotine. As a company we also continuously seek ways to contribute to this dialogue and knowledge base.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Smoking Rates Hit An All-Time Low

    Smoking Rates Hit An All-Time Low

    The rising popularity of e-cigarettes has helped drive down traditional smoking rates.

    Americans are lighting up less than ever, according to newly released data from the federal government.

    After yet another downtick, only about 14% of U.S. adults were still smokers last year, an all-time low that has fallen from some 42% in the 1960s when smoking was ubiquitous. 

    “Everything is pointed in the right direction,” K. Michael Cummings with the tobacco research program at Medical University of South Carolina told the Associated Press.

    Part of the change stems from a decades-long shift in smoking bans and attitudes toward lighting up. In the 1950s and 1960s, indoor smoking was the norm in offices, planes, diners and hospitals. But as the medical community gained a better understanding of the associated health risks, anti-smoking campaigns and rising cigarette taxes pushed down cigarette use. 

    In recent years, the popularity of e-cigarettes—especially among young people—has also worked to drive down smoking rates. More kids are into vaping than smoking now, and teen smoking hit a new low last year. 

    While 9% of high school students reported smoking tobacco, roughly 13% said that they use e-cigs or other vaping devices, the AP reported. The practice is more prevalent among young people, as the most recent figures from 2016 estimate that only around 3% of adults choose to vape. 

    Despite its rising popularity, the health impacts of vaping aren’t well known. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) admitted that e-cigs “generally contain fewer harmful chemicals” than regular smokes, they still contain potentially carcinogenic substances and flavoring chemicals that are linked to lung damage, according to TIME. 

    But despite the growth in e-cig use, there are still around 30 million Americans who smoke traditional cigarettes. More men than women, and adults between the ages of 45 and 64 are the most likely to light up regularly, according to an annual survey by the National Center for Health Statistics. 

    The latest adult smoking figures are down 2 percentage points from the year before, when 16% of the population smoked. In 2006, that figure stood around 20%. 

    The new numbers come from the CDC’s annual survey, which interviewed roughly 27,000 adults last year for the latest findings.

    View the original article at thefix.com