More than a third of Kentucky middle and high schoolers responding to a recent survey say the pandemic has increased students using e-cigarettes, or “vapes,” and other tobacco products. And more than 14 percent said they believe e-cigarettes are safer for them to smoke than traditional cigarettes, according to the survey, conducted by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and Kentucky Youth Advocates.
A total of 400 middle and high school students from 22 Kentucky counties responded to the survey, which was fielded in November and December 2020.
While it is difficult to measure exactly how the pandemic is affecting youth tobacco use, the survey offers some alarming insight. More than half of youth who expressed an opinion about how pandemic impacted their peers said they believed that it increased tobacco use (39.2 percent of the total).
The survey also found that 14 percent of youth believe e-cigarettes are safer than cigarettes.
A copy of the survey report is available here.
