A recent report from the state Department of Health reveals a substantial decrease in tobacco usage among middle and high school students in New York, citing a ban on flavored vaping products and a declining trend in e-cigarette usage.
The report was part of three surveys analyzing tobacco consumption in the state, highlighting a broad generational decline in both youth and adults.
The decline comes as New York’s cigarette tax is set to rise by $1, making it the highest in the country, as part of last month’s $229 billion state budget.
The New York Youth Tobacco Survey reported a decline in cigarette smoking among young students from 27.1% to a mere 2.1%.
Similarly, e-cigarette usage has also decreased by 32% from 2018 to 2022. Adult smoking has also seen a decrease from 14.1% to 12% between 2017 and 2021, with the goal of reaching 11% by 2024.
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