There is no time to waste in confronting this worsening epidemic of youth nicotine addiction. More than 5 million children now use e-cigarettes, including over 1 in 4 high school students. The evidence is clear that flavors play a critical role in youth use of e-cigarettes. Research has found that nearly all (97%) current youth e-cigarette users use flavored e-cigarettes and 70% cite flavors as a key reason for their use. The 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 57.3% of high school e-cigarette users use mint- or menthol-flavored products, an increase from 38.1% in 2018 and 21.0% in 2017.
Youth e-cigarette use and nicotine addiction leads to increased risk of cigarette use. Tobacco remains accessible to minors, and more needs to be done to prevent young people from using these addictive products. We must do everything we can to prevent e-cigarettes from becoming an on-ramp to nicotine addiction for a generation of youth. Now is the time to act and protect the health of our children.
Consensus Statement: We strongly support President Trump’s proposal, made on September 11, 2019, to swiftly remove all non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, including mint and menthol flavors, from the marketplace both in retail stores and online. We urge the Administration to act without delay to finalize and implement its plan. If this plan is swiftly and fully implemented, it will play a critical role in reversing the youth e-cigarette epidemic and preserve the health and well-being of our nation’s children.
On Behalf of:
To advance the quality and effectiveness of psychiatric care through advocacy, professional education and camaraderie.
info@ncps.org
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