For the first time in a long time, the youth use rates of tobacco products are climbing, and we can thank e-cigarettes for addicting a new generation to nicotine. With the deceptive marketing of manufacturers like JUUL, 27 percent of New York high school teenagers and roughly 40 percent of 12th graders report using e-cigarettes. For those of us that care for children as medical professionals, we can tell you that number is likely higher.
How long are we going to let Big Tobacco make money off of kids? Make no mistake about it, 81 percent of kids who have ever used a tobacco product started with one that was flavored. Big Tobacco knows exactly what they’re doing. In fact, they have aggressively marketed their products to children for years because they know that flavors make smoking and vaping more appealing. Also, menthol cigarettes are the most popular choice for youth who smoke and not by an insignificant amount. In addition, 7 out of 10 African American youth smokers choose menthol cigarettes.
Maintaining flavors to attract adult smokers increases the risk of these products being available to youth and young adults. Removing flavors from tobacco products means removing their appeal to youth, the prevention of a lifetime of nicotine addiction and decreases their risk of heart attack and stroke in their adult futures. We know youth are getting e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco from easy access points in their communities.
If flavored tobacco is no longer available at the corner stores and shops kids visit with friends and families, the appeal of these flavored products will slowly fade. Some adults will quit, and kids will never start. That’s the end goal.
Dr. Russell Schiff
President, American Heart Association’s Long Island Board of Directors
