More than 40 percent of middle and high schoolers who smoke use flavored little cigars or flavored cigarettes (CDC Journal of Adolescent Health, CNN, The Boston Globe, The Star Ledger)
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than two out of every five middle and high school students who smoke use flavored little cigars or flavored cigarettes. Their study was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
The sale of flavored cigarettes (except Menthol) were banned with the passage of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act. However, flavored little cigars were not banned, so tobacco companies now sell little cigars in kid-friendly fruit and candy flavors. The only difference between the two products is little cigars are wrapped in leaf tobacco or another tobacco product, and cigarettes are wrapped in paper or some other non-tobacco substance.
Read the CDC press release about the study, which used data from the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey to measure how many American youth are using flavored little cigars and flavored cigarettes. Read the October 23 and 24 news articles from CNN and The Boston Globe respectively about the CDC study.
Cigar use more than tripled from 2000 to 2011, and is more common among teens than older people. Cigars are flavored and are not taxed as high as cigarettes, making them cheaper and more appealing to kids. Read a Star Ledger Editorial which supports closing these loopholes as smart solutions to discourage kids from taking up smoking.
Read more studies on our webpage about protecting children from tobacco use and exposure.