Governor Cuomo Announces Record Low Youth Smoking Rate in New York
Percentage of High School E-Cigarette Users Doubles in Two Years
Findings Support FY 2018 Executive Budget Proposals to Reduce E-Cigarette Use
Click
Here For Survey Results
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced that New York State's high
school student smoking rate in 2016 was the lowest on record at 4.3 percent,
down from 27.1 percent in 2000. A
survey recently released by the New York State Department of Health also found
that e-cigarette use by high school students nearly doubled in the last
two years from 10.5 percent in 2014 to 20.6 percent in 2016.
"These startling numbers demonstrate both the overwhelming success
of New York's anti-smoking programs – which have led to record
low teen cigarette use – and the need to close dangerous loopholes
that leave e-cigarettes unregulated,"
Governor Cuomo said. "Combating teen tobacco use in all of its forms today will help
create a healthier tomorrow for an entire generation of New Yorkers."
According to a 2016 report by the U.S. Surgeon General, the number of
high school students using e-cigarettes soared 900 percent between 2011
and 2015, becoming the most commonly used form of nicotine among youths.
Due to their sweet flavor and the mistaken belief that they are not harmful
to users, e-cigarette use continues to increase. The report also found
that the use of e-cigarettes among youths and young adults is strongly
associated with the use of other tobacco products.
Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker said, "The rapid rise in e-cigarette use among youth and its dual use with
cigarettes is a cause for great concern. We've had significant success
in reducing smoking among young people in New York State. E-cigarette
use by youthcan be a gateway to nicotine addiction. We must continue to
safeguard New York youth from the dangers associated with cigarette and
e-cigarette use, both known and unknown."
Governor Cuomo's FY 2018 Executive Budget proposes regulating e-cigarettes
in a similar manner as traditional cigarettes to address growing concerns
about the health impact of e-cigarettes. This would include e-cigarettes
in the state's comprehensive indoor air law and impose a 10 cent per
milliliter levy on vapor products, thereby reducing the affordability
of vapor products for youth – the age group most sensitive to price.
Contrary to the belief that e-cigarettes are safe alternatives to cigarettes,
studies show that e-cigarettes are not hazard-free. Most e-cigarettes
contain nicotine, a highly addictive drug that can cause permanent changes
in young, developing brains. Although combustible tobacco products contain
more toxins than e-cigarettes, the aerosol produced by e-cigarettes is
not a harmless water vapor. Studies show the aerosol contains ultrafine
particles that have been linked to lung disease; heavy metals such as
tin, lead and nickel; and volatile organic compounds such as benzene and toluene.
In May 2016, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration added nicotine-containing
e-cigarettes to its definition of tobacco products, a position consistent
with the New York State Department of Health, which also considers e-cigarettes
a tobacco product. Since the emergence of e-cigarettes and other similar
electronic nicotine delivery systems, the New York State Department of
Health has incorporated e-cigarettes into existing tobacco control initiatives
to prevent youth from starting tobacco use, reduce tobacco use in adults
and eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.
Click here for a list of stats by year provided by the State Department of Health.
For additional information on the New York State Tobacco Control Program, visit
www.health.ny.gov/prevention/tobacco_control/program_components.htm. To learn more about e-cigarettes and youth, visit
https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/default.htm.