Bismarck Tribune: E-cigarettes more popular than tobacco among teens, survey finds
Although tobacco use is down among North Dakota’s teenagers, nearly double the number of youngsters are using e-cigarettes, according to a survey of students.
The 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that 12 percent of high school students statewide reported smoking at least once in the month before the survey. That’s down from 22 percent in 2005.
Meanwhile, 22 percent of students report having used an e-cigarette in the past month.
The statistics come from a survey overseen by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention given to middle school and high school students in every state. In North Dakota, the Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Health administer it to 10,000 high school students.
The prevalence of e-cigarettes marks an area of concern for school and health officials who spoke Monday at a news conference at the state Capitol in Bismarck. E-cigarettes convert nicotine liquid into aerosols that are inhaled, said Jeanne Prom, director of the North Dakota Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy.
Hannah Rexine, a senior at Century High School, said she and her friends became aware of the vaping devices two or three years ago when they began to grow in popularity.
“E-cigarettes are becoming more popular because kids think they are more safe than an actual cigarette,” she said.
Rexine, who sits on the board of directors for the tobacco prevention center, said not enough research has been done to verify that claim.
Prom said using nicotine at a young age causes lasting harm to the brain.
“Nicotine is one of the most highly addictive drugs,” she said. “A curious experiment with an e-cigarette could lead kids into an addiction into any form of nicotine.”
Teens often buy e-cigarettes off the Internet or from friends and don’t know the nicotine content, Rexine said.
E-cigarettes come in a variety of flavors. Some believe the product can help them quit smoking.
“It’s all these rumors going around,” Rexine said.
The Students Against Destructive Decisions group at Century has educated freshmen during orientation each of the past two years about the risks associated with e-cigarettes.
The state and local governments have also jumped on board to combat the popularity of the vaping devices.
Prom said the 2015 North Dakota Legislature passed a bill prohibiting youth from using e-cigarettes and vendors from selling them to minors. Bismarck also approved an ordinance that requires stores selling the products to have a tobacco license and place the items behind the counter.
Though the percentage of teens smoking traditional cigarettes has dropped, Prom said there’s still work to do.
She said 42 percent of the state’s K-12 students attend a school that has a comprehensive policy banning tobacco. She aims to bring that number up to 100 percent by working with county public health units and school districts. Money from North Dakota’s settlement with tobacco companies in the 1990s is funding that effort.
In addition to cigarette use, the survey asks about a number of issues affecting teens, including suicide, drinking, drug use and diet.
State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler outlined efforts to address mental health issues.
The percentage of North Dakota high school students who report having attempted suicide in the past year is 9 percent. The number of students who felt sad or hopeless daily for two or more weeks in the past year is climbing from 20 percent in 2005 to 27 percent this year, according to the survey.
“We need to work to change those numbers,” Baesler said.
She said DPI is preparing training for teachers to identify early signs of mental health issues. She said the 2015 Legislature passed a bill requiring such training annually for high school and middle school administrators, teachers and instructional staff.
She said another new law requires that new teachers receive mental health training before they receive their teaching license.
http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/education/e-cigarettes-more-popular-than-tobacco-among-teens-survey-finds/article_513c5759-69a0-5f26-8452-d296bca6b03f.html
The 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that 12 percent of high school students statewide reported smoking at least once in the month before the survey. That’s down from 22 percent in 2005.
Meanwhile, 22 percent of students report having used an e-cigarette in the past month.
The statistics come from a survey overseen by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention given to middle school and high school students in every state. In North Dakota, the Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Health administer it to 10,000 high school students.
The prevalence of e-cigarettes marks an area of concern for school and health officials who spoke Monday at a news conference at the state Capitol in Bismarck. E-cigarettes convert nicotine liquid into aerosols that are inhaled, said Jeanne Prom, director of the North Dakota Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy.
Hannah Rexine, a senior at Century High School, said she and her friends became aware of the vaping devices two or three years ago when they began to grow in popularity.
“E-cigarettes are becoming more popular because kids think they are more safe than an actual cigarette,” she said.
Rexine, who sits on the board of directors for the tobacco prevention center, said not enough research has been done to verify that claim.
Prom said using nicotine at a young age causes lasting harm to the brain.
“Nicotine is one of the most highly addictive drugs,” she said. “A curious experiment with an e-cigarette could lead kids into an addiction into any form of nicotine.”
Teens often buy e-cigarettes off the Internet or from friends and don’t know the nicotine content, Rexine said.
E-cigarettes come in a variety of flavors. Some believe the product can help them quit smoking.
“It’s all these rumors going around,” Rexine said.
The Students Against Destructive Decisions group at Century has educated freshmen during orientation each of the past two years about the risks associated with e-cigarettes.
The state and local governments have also jumped on board to combat the popularity of the vaping devices.
Prom said the 2015 North Dakota Legislature passed a bill prohibiting youth from using e-cigarettes and vendors from selling them to minors. Bismarck also approved an ordinance that requires stores selling the products to have a tobacco license and place the items behind the counter.
Though the percentage of teens smoking traditional cigarettes has dropped, Prom said there’s still work to do.
She said 42 percent of the state’s K-12 students attend a school that has a comprehensive policy banning tobacco. She aims to bring that number up to 100 percent by working with county public health units and school districts. Money from North Dakota’s settlement with tobacco companies in the 1990s is funding that effort.
In addition to cigarette use, the survey asks about a number of issues affecting teens, including suicide, drinking, drug use and diet.
State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler outlined efforts to address mental health issues.
The percentage of North Dakota high school students who report having attempted suicide in the past year is 9 percent. The number of students who felt sad or hopeless daily for two or more weeks in the past year is climbing from 20 percent in 2005 to 27 percent this year, according to the survey.
“We need to work to change those numbers,” Baesler said.
She said DPI is preparing training for teachers to identify early signs of mental health issues. She said the 2015 Legislature passed a bill requiring such training annually for high school and middle school administrators, teachers and instructional staff.
She said another new law requires that new teachers receive mental health training before they receive their teaching license.
http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/education/e-cigarettes-more-popular-than-tobacco-among-teens-survey-finds/article_513c5759-69a0-5f26-8452-d296bca6b03f.html
