Dec 17, 2018 - Health

The vaping boom among American teenagers

Axios

"Twice as many high school students used nicotine-tinged electronic cigarettes this year compared with last year, an unprecedented jump in a large annual survey of teen smoking, drinking and drug use," AP's Mike Stobbe reports.

Why it matters: The federally funded University of Michigan survey of 45,000 students in grades 8, 10 and 12 "found 1 in 5 high school seniors reported having vaped nicotine in the previous month. ... It was the largest single-year increase in the survey's 44-year history, far surpassing a mid-1970s surge in marijuana smoking."

"After vaping and alcohol, the most common thing teens use is marijuana."

"About 1 in 4 students said they'd used marijuana at least once in the past year."
"1 in 17 high school seniors said they use marijuana every day."

"More teens, however, are saying no to lots of other substances."

"Usage of alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, heroin and opioid pills all declined."

"One leading theory is that kids today are staying home and communicating on smartphones rather than hanging out and smoking, drinking or trying drugs."

Go deeper: A surge in youth vaping is driving the FDA's crackdown

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The vaping boom among American teenagers

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