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Experts say it’s a disturbing trend: e-cigarette use among young people in Michigan and across the U.S. is topping regular cigarettes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that for the first time in the history of its National Youth Tobacco Survey, e-cigarette use is higher than all other forms of tobacco.
C-D-C Director Tom Frieden says the increased popularity of the product is working against other progress made in the fight against cigarette smoking.
The C-D-C estimates that last year there were 2.4 million e-cigarette youth users and an estimated 1.6 million youth who used hookahs, the large pipes used to smoke flavored tobacco. Those numbers tripled since 2011.
A bill that prohibits minors from buying or using e-cigarettes is before the Michigan House Regulatory Reform committee.
The governor has said prohibiting sale to minors is not tough enough. He also wants the devices categorized–and taxed–as a tobacco product.
