Vaping in schools is nothing new. Superintendents and building leaders have implemented strategies and various technologies to combat the growing issue. In some states, students even face indictment. But just how serious of a problem is it?
Newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that 10% of middle and high school students reported using tobacco in 2023, a statistic the researchers find startling.
“Given the negative health consequences of tobacco use and the unique harms associated with adolescent nicotine exposure, prevention of tobacco use by youths is imperative,” the report reads.
Unsurprisingly, e-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product among these student populations. Among those who report currently using e-cigarettes, 25.2% say they use them daily. However, we’re seeing a slight decline in the number of high schoolers who vape. From 2022-23, that number has declined from 14.1% to 10%. As for our middle schoolers, though, more and more are taking up tobacco-related drugs.
According to the research, the number of middle schoolers using any tobacco product jumped from 4.5% to 6.6% in that same time frame.
“The decline in e-cigarette use among high school students shows great progress, but our work is far from over,” Director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health Deirdre Lawrence Kittner said in a statement. “Findings from this report underscore the threat that commercial tobacco product use poses to the health of our nation’s youth. It is imperative that we prevent youth from starting to use tobacco and help those who use tobacco to quit.”
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About students’ tobacco use
School leaders are more likely to catch their female students using any sort of tobacco products (11.2%) compared to their male counterparts (8.9%), the data suggests. While e-cigarettes are most popular among middle and high school students, educators should also be on the lookout for:
- Cigarettes (1.6%)
- Cigars (1.6%)
- Nicotine pouches (1.5%)
- Smokeless tobacco (1.2%)
- Oral nicotine pouches (1.2%)
- Hookahs (1.1%)
- Heated tobacco products (1%)
- Pipe tobacco products (0.5%)
