E-cigarette use among teens on the rise in Rhode Island

The use of electronic cigarettes by teenagers is on the rise in Rhode Island, according to Rhode Island Kids Count.

Students in middle and high school reported using e-cigarettes at much higher rates than cigarettes, a youth risk behavior survey by the state Department of Health found. And from 2017 to 2019, the percentage of high school students using e-cigarettes in Rhode Island jumped from 20% to 30%, as traditional cigarette use declined.

“This alarming increase in e-cigarette use among Rhode Island youth is further evidence that additional tobacco control policies are needed to protect our young people,” Katie Orona, a policy analyst at Kids Count, said in a statement.

E-cigarettes allow users to inhale aerosols containing nicotine, flavorings and other additives and have become wildly popular with teenagers nationwide. They contain fewer chemicals than cigarettes, but have been found to contain heavy metal such as tin and lead as well as nicotine, which can lead to addiction.

In addition, smoking and vaping put students at a greater risk of poor outcomes should they contract COVID, Kids Count said.

Earlier this year, the state prohibited the sale of flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems.

Nationally and in Rhode Island, tobacco rates vary based on race, ethnicity and gender, and higher rates are found among youth who are vulnerable to influencing factors, according to Kids Count findings.

A total of 31% of the female students surveyed in 2019 in Rhode Island reported current use of e-cigarettes, compared with 28% of males. Black and Hispanic students reported that they were less likely to use e-cigarettes, coming in at 18% and 20%, respectively.

Kids Count supports increased funding and policies aimed at preventing youths from using and becoming addicted to tobacco products.

“Now more than ever with the COVID-19 pandemic and the additional risk for young people who are vaping and using cigarettes we need to increase our efforts to reduce the number of young people using e-cigarettes and tobacco products," Elizabeth Burke Bryant, executive director of Kids Count, said in a statement.

CVS Health provided funding support for the development of the fact sheet.