A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a link between exposure to e-cigarette advertisements and the use of e-cigarettes by middle and high school students. The study is the first to assess the link between exposure to e-cigarette advertising and current e-cigarette use, and it concludes that efforts to reduce youth exposure to advertising are critical to prevent youth from using e-cigarettes as well as other tobacco products.
The CDC reports that spending on e-cigarette advertising rose from $6.4 million in 2011 to an estimated $115 million in 2014. During that time, e-cigarette use among youth soared: from 1.5 percent in 2011 to 13.4 in 2014 among high school students, and from 0.6 percent in 2011 to 3.9 percent in 2014 among middle school students.
In 2014, e-cigarettes became the most commonly used tobacco product among youth, surpassing conventional cigarettes.
The CDC press release, with a link to the study, is here.
