NEW YORK - Vaping by U.S. teenagers fell dramatically this year, especially among middle schoolers, according to a federal report released Wednesday.

Experts think last year's outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths may have scared off some kids, but they believe other factors contributed to the ｄrop, including higher age limits and flavor bans.

In a national survey, just under 20% of high school students and 5% of middle school students said they were recent users of electronic cigarettes and other vaping products. That's down from a similar survey last year that found about 28% of high school students and 11% of middle school students had recently vaped.

The survey suggests that the number of school kids who vape fell from 5.4 million to 3.6 million in a year, officials said.

But even as teen use declined, the report shows a big bump in use of disposable e-cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year barred flavors from small vaping devices like Juul and others that are mainly used by minors. The policy did not apply to disposable e-cigarettes, which can still contain sweet, candylike flavors.

"As long as any flavored e-cigarettes are left on the market, kids will get their hands on them and we will not solve this crisis," Matt Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids said in a statement.

 

'Very encouraging'

 

Kenneth Warner, a professor emeritus at the University of Michigan's school of public health, said the teen vaping ｄrop was larger than expected.

 

"This does look like a very substantial decrease in a single year and it's very encouraging," said Warner, a tobacco control expert.

Among the likely factors, Warner noted the general negative publicity surrounding vaping. Additionally, Juul preemptively pulled all its vaping flavors except menthol and tobacco last fall ahead of federal action.

Warner and other researchers have tracked a recent decline in teen smoking to all-time lows — about 6% — even as vaping has increased. He said it will be critical to watch whether teen smoking begins rising again as fewer teens vape.

The new figures were disclosed on the same day that all U.S. vaping manufacturers faced a long-delayed deadline to submit their products for FDA review. Generally, that means the vaping companies must show that their products help smokers reduce or quit their use of cigarettes and other tobacco products.

E-cigarettes first appeared in the U.S. more than a decade ago and have grown in popularity with minimal federal regulation.

 

 

Words in the article

dramatically - adv. highly effective, striking

factor - n. elements, causes of particular result or situation 

contribute - v. to be an important factor; help to cause something 

decline - v. to  descend, (numbers) to go down 

disposable - adj. for single use

minor - n. a person under the legal age of full responsibility 

encourage – v. to promote, advance or foster 

 

Comprehension Quiz

What were the factors that helped reduce the number of teenagers vaping?

What happened to e-cigarettes after teenagers stopped vaping?

What was the original purpose of vaping?