Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Advocates Cheer Drop In Teen Tobacco Use As Potential Turning Point In War Against Smoking
The Washington Post: Teenagers’ Tobacco Use Hits A Record Low, With A Sharp Drop In E-Cigarettes
Teenagers' use of e-cigarettes fell sharply last year, while overall tobacco use declined to a new low, according to data that some antismoking advocates said could signal a turning point in the decades-long effort against youth smoking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's annual report on youth and tobacco found that 11.3 percent of high school students used e-cigarettes in 2016, compared with 16 percent the year before. That's the first drop since the CDC started keeping track of e-cigarettes in 2011. (McGinley, 6/15)
NPR: Teen Use Of E-Cigarettes Declines For The First Time
"It's actually quite remarkable from a public health standpoint," says Brian King, deputy director for research translation in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Office on Smoking and Health, which produced the report. Before the drop, the CDC had documented an exponential increase in the use of e-cigarettes by young people between 2011 and 2015, King says. That prompted widespread alarm among public health authorities. The devices were first imported into the U.S. from China in 2006. (Stein, 6/15)
