Jack Aylmer
DESPITE THE HUGE DROP IN SMOKING OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES, TRADITIONAL CIGARETTES REMAIN MORE POPULAR THAN VAPING. THAT’S ACCORDING TO A NEW GALLUP POLL.
ABOUT ELEVEN-PERCENT OF AMERICANS SAID THEY SMOKED A CIGARETTE IN THE PAST WEEK, COMPARED TO SEVEN-PERCENT WHO REPORTED USING AN ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE.
BACK IN 1944, 41-PERCENT OF AMERICAN ADULTS SMOKED.
STUDIES SAY YOUNG ADULTS HAVE DRIVEN THIS DECLINE AND THAT ONLY 6% OF ADULTS UNDER 30 REPORT SMOKING TODAY, DOWN FROM 35 PERCENT IN 2003.
HOWEVER, YOUNG ADULTS ARE ALSO NOW MORE LIKELY TO VAPE, WITH 18% OF THEM USING E-CIGARETTES COMPARED TO JUST ONE-PERCENT OF THOSE AGED 65 AND OLDER.
VAPING IS THE CHOICE FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION, BUT CIGARETTES ARE STILL MORE POPULAR OVERALL. MOST PEOPLE SEE VAPING AS THE SAFER OPTION. IN FACT, 79% OF AMERICANS THINK CIGARETTES ARE “VERY HARMFUL,” WHILE ONLY 57% SAY THE SAME ABOUT E-CIGS.
EXPERTS WARN THAT VAPING IS NOT RISK-FREE AND HAS ITS OWN DANGERS, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. ACCORDING TO THE CDC, IT’S BECOME A HUGE CONCERN, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE 10% OF HIGH SCHOOLERS WERE VAPING IN 2023.
TRADITIONAL CIGARETTES HAVE BEEN LINKED TO ALL KINDS OF HEALTH PROBLEMS, INCLUDING CANCER. AND E-CIGARETTES CONTAIN NICOTINE, WHICH IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE.
THERE’S ALSO AEROSOL IN THE VAPES THAT HAVE CANCER CAUSING CHEMICALS.
WHETHER IT’S SMOKING OR VAPING, CEO OF COMMUNITY ANTI-DRUG COALITIONS SAYS NEITHER OPTION IS, “SAFE.”
WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE RESEARCH – AND YOU CAN TOO. DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP – AND SIGN UP FOR HEALTH UPDATES SO YOU NEVER MISS A STORY.