Tobacco Prevention News
As Halloween nears, costumes, decorations, and horror movies are sure to generate scares. Something else that might generate a scare is the prevalence of youth using tobacco and nicotine products. Our young people are increasingly turning to new types of tobacco and nicotine products. Nearly ninety percent of youth tobacco use initiation and addiction occur before the age of eighteen. Nicotine exposure during adolescence can cause addiction, harm brain development, and can lead to sustained tobacco product use.
Local Tobacco Education specialist A.J. Allen said, “According to the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 24 percent of MT high school students reported using a vapor product within the last 30 days.” It is no wonder these products are attracting younger users. Most of them feature youth-friendly flavors such as candy, mint and fruit.
According to the CDC, 85 percent of youth who reported using e-cigarettes in 2022 used a flavored product. When JUUL first appeared, it was often considered that it was the equivalent of one pack of cigarettes. Today, the nicotine amounts in products today can be equivalent to thirty packs of cigarettes. Also, three-fourths of U.S. students see e-cigarette advertising in stores, through newspapers and magazines, on television and in movies, or on social media which have all been shown to increase youth initiation of these products.
Free coaching is available to help adult tobacco users quit. Sign up through www. quitnowmontana.com or 1-800-QUIT-NOW. Teens also have the option to connect with the My Life, My Quit teen quit line at 1-855891-9989, by visiting www. mylifemyquit.com, or texting Start My Quit to 36072. Don’t be tricked by Big Tobacco!
