Protecting Children and Adolescents From Tobacco and Nicotine

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of disease and death for adults in the United States. Significant strides have been made in reducing rates of cigarette smoking among adolescents in the United States. However, rates of e-cigarette and similar device use among youth are high, and rates of other tobacco product use, such as cigars and hookahs, have not declined. Public policy actions to protect children and adolescents from tobacco and nicotine use, as well as tobacco smoke and aerosol exposure, have proven effective in reducing harm. Effective public health approaches need to be both extended to include e-cigarettes, similar devices, and other and emerging tobacco products and expanded to reduce the toll that the tobacco epidemic takes on children and adolescents.

Automated summary

Tobacco use is still the main preventable cause of disease and death for adults in the United States. There have been significant efforts to reduce cigarette smoking rates among adolescents, but the use of e-cigarettes and similar devices among youth remains high, and the use of other tobacco products like cigars and hookahs has not declined. Public policy actions have been effective in protecting children and adolescents from tobacco and nicotine use, as well as exposure to tobacco smoke and aerosol. Effective public health approaches need to be expanded to include e-cigarettes, similar devices, and emerging tobacco products to reduce the harm of the tobacco epidemic on children and adolescents.