Smoking cigarettes has finally lost its cool factor. Unfortunately, vaping has stepped in to fill the gap.
The percentage of cigarette smokers in America has dropped to just over 10%, the lowest it’s ever been.
While that’s still too high considering the health risks like cancer and heart disease, health officials are encouraged by the steady decline.
Gone are the days when Hollywood stars made smoking look glamorous on screen or endorsed cigarette brands. But now, vaping has become the new “cool” habit.
“It’s easy and kind of cool to carry around a vape pen,” said a local high school student. “It doesn’t feel like smoking to me, so I think it’s fine.”
Southern Utah Public Health Director Dr. David Blodgett agrees that vaping may be less harmful than smoking — but not by much.
Speaking on the Andy Griffin Show, Blodgett warned that vaping carries its risks.
“One of my biggest concerns with vapes is that they’re a perfect vehicle for delivering all kinds of harmful substances,” Blodgett said.
“The number of kids vaping nicotine is fairly steady, but the real problem is the other stuff — marijuana and even dangerous chemicals like lighter fluid — that sometimes end up in vape pens.”
Just two years ago, there were about 400 vape products on the market. Now, that number has grown nearly tenfold.
Despite efforts by Utah and other states to crack down on flavored vapes that attract young users, the e-cigarette market remains strong.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), e-cigarettes are now the most popular form of tobacco among American youth, far outpacing other products like nicotine pouches and traditional cigarettes. Here’s the list of tobacco products used by high schoolers:
- E-Cigarettes – 5.9%
- Nicotine Pouches – 1.8%
- Cigarettes – 1.4%
- Cigars – 1.2%
- Smokeless Tobacco – 1.2%
- Other Oral Nicotine Products – 1.2%
- Heated Tobacco Products – 0.8%
- Hookahs – 0.7%
- Pipe Tobacco – 0.5%
Overall, about 10.1% of high school students — around 1.58 million teens — use tobacco. In Southern Utah, the rate is slightly lower, but school officials in Washington County say tobacco use among students is still a noticeable issue.
Vaping has become the new “cool” for young people. And while it may be less harmful than smoking, it still increases the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and other health problems. After all, trying to be cool always comes with a price.
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