Heart of Health Policy | While cigarette use in middle and high school students decreased from 15.8 percent to 9.2 percent between 2011 and 2014, the use of hookah and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) went up significantly, according to the results of the 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey, co-conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In 2014, 24.6 percent of high school students reported using a tobacco product, while 12.7 percent reported current use of two or more products. E-cigarettes were the most popular tobacco product in both middle and high school, with 3.9 percent use and 13.4 percent use, respectively. Compared to 2011, e-cigarette use in high school students is up 11.9 percent, with hookah use increasing from 4.1 percent to 9.4 percent between 2011 and 2014.

"Tobacco-related products have continued to evolve at a pace faster than our scientific understanding of their biological effects," stated Pamela B. Morris, MD, FACC, chair of ACC’s Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Section Leadership Council, in response to the survey results. "Despite claims of potential health benefits, the long-term consequences of adolescent exposure to electronic cigarette aerosol, which contains nicotine, carbonyls (formaldehyde and acrolein) and particulates, are unknown."

The FDA is currently finalizing a rule that would extend its authority to regulate e-cigarettes, cigars and hookahs.

Keywords: Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, Students, Schools, Tobacco, Tobacco Products

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