The topic of e-cigarette use in youth has been in the news a lot lately, and for good reason. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of high school students who vape increased by 78% in the past year alone — and in 2018, one in five high school students used e-cigarettes. To combat these rising rates, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken steps to squash e-cigarette use among youth. Here’s what has happened:

August 2016: FDA classifies e-cigarettes as tobacco products to be regulated by the agency.

September 2018: FDA gives e-cigarette manufacturers 60 days to submit a plan for how they will prevent teens from using their products.

March 2019: FDA issues proposed regulation to > Ban sales of flavored products to people under age 18 > Add enhanced age verification requirements for products (which must be sold in age-restricted areas) > Ban sales of products targeted to minors.

While we support the progress that has been made, there is still much to do to prevent kids and teens from vaping. We urge you to help end teen vaping in your community–talk with local leaders, and members of Congress about supporting policies that keep e-cigarettes from reaching kids and teens!

Source: Cancer PreventionWorks: July 2019

Prevent Cancer Foundation