Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC: Teen Use Of Tobacco Products Falls 20% To Lowest Level In 25 Years
AP: Teen Smoking And Other Tobacco Use Drop To Lowest Level In 25 Years, CDC Reports
Teen smoking hit an all-time low in the U.S. this year, part of a big drop in the youth use of tobacco overall, the government reported Thursday. There was a 20% drop in the estimated number of middle and high school students who recently used at least one tobacco product, including cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, nicotine pouches and hookahs. The number went from 2.8 million last year to 2.25 million this year — the lowest since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s key survey began in 1999. (Stobbe, 10/17)
On social media use —
Bloomberg: Instagram Video Warns Teens About Sextortion
Instagram is sending a video to millions of teenagers to warn them about sextortion, a cybercrime that has proliferated on the app and in some cases has driven young users to suicide. The video, which opens with the line “Let’s talk about sextortion,” will be pushed to teens and young adults in the US, the UK and Canada on Thursday, Instagram parent company Meta Platforms Inc. said in a statement. (Carville, 10/17)
Stateline: Computer Programs Monitor Students’ Every Word In The Name Of Safety
Whether it’s a research project on the Civil War or a science experiment on volcano eruptions, students in the Colonial School District near Wilmington, Delaware, can look up just about anything on their school-provided laptops. But in one instance, an elementary school student searched “how to die.” In that case, Meghan Feby, an elementary school counselor in the district, got a phone call through a platform called GoGuardian Beacon, whose algorithm flagged the phrase. (Fitzgerald, 10/17)
News-Medical.net: Study Explores Why Teens Self-Diagnose Mental Health Conditions Through TikTok Content
In a recent review article published in Educational Psychology in Practice, researchers explored the phenomenon of young people self-diagnosing with mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions after interacting with social media content. Their conclusions highlight the complex reasons for self-diagnosis and the systemic barriers that limit access to proper support for young people. (Pramanik, 10/18)
