GOVERNMENT

Teens and tobacco

State survey shows e-cigarettes surging in popularity

Ben Steelman StarNews Staff

While tobacco use has declined slightly among North Carolina teenagers, a recently released survey shows that e-cigarette use among middle school and high school students has grown alarmingly.

The 2017 N.C. Youth Tobacco Survey found that high school tobacco use had declined from 30.9 percent in 2015 to 30.3 percent last year -- considerably more than the 19.6 percent of high school students in the National Youth Tobacco Survey, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Since 2011, however, the use of e-cigarettes has increased by 430 percent among middle school students and by 894 percent among high school students. Roughly 5.3 percent of middle-school students and 16.9 percent of high school students were using e-cigarettes last year, according to the survey.

"Beginning in 2015, e-cigarettes have replaced regular cigarettes as the No. 1 tobacco product used by high school and middle school students," said Ann Houston Staples, a spokesman for the Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

The department conducts the N.C. Youth Tobacco Survey in the fall of odd-numbered years in cooperation with the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Last year, 3,133 high school students and 3,200 middle school students responded to a written survey on tobacco use.

Students from New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties participated surveys, but county-by-county breakdowns are unavailable on the survey results, Staples said.

Electronic cigarette use appears to be higher among young people than adults. "They're technical devices," Staples said. "They're interesting, fun and new." Many e-cigarettes are candy-flavored, and many brands are far easier to conceal than traditional tobacco products. One popular brand, San Francisco-based JUUL, is roughly the size and shape of a computer's USB flash drive.

Almost half of middle school students and more than half of high school students reported using more than one tobacco product on a regular basis, according to the survey. "We found a number of poly-users," Staples said. Cigarettes and e-cigarettes were the most common combination, although e-cigarettes and cigars were popular among many high school students, and e-cigarettes and hookahs seemed popular in campus towns.

The trend has raised concern among school and health officials. “E-cigarettes can cause nicotine addiction, certain forms of cancer, and other diseases that can lead to premature death," said Brunswick County Health Director Cris Harrelson.

In fact, Staples said, heavy e-cigarette use, especially by inexperienced students, has led to cases of nicotine poisoning, with many schools reporting cases of nausea and vomiting by students who proved to be users.

Jerry Oates, associate superintendent of Brunswick County schools, said his staff had discussed the problem.

Studies suggest that many e-cigarette users will eventually transition to conventional cigarettes, Staples said, since the traditional tobacco product contains more nicotine.

Staples said her agency is trying to educate parents and teachers about warning signs of e-cigarette use. Among these are secretive behavior, spending a lot of time alone in one's room and a sticky-sweet smell on a teen's person or clothing.

Reporter Ben Steelman can be reached at 910-343-2208 or Ben.Steelman@StarNewsOnline.com.