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The FDA recently announced a new youth education campaign to reduce e-cigarette use. According to the FDA, more than 2 million middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2016. The new education campaign is an attempt to discourage youth e-cigarette use by providing digital resources to educate them on addiction and the dangers of nicotine.

Concerns about the potential youth appeal of e-cigarettes have been heavily voiced since the products have been available. A 2015 Mott Poll found that both parents and teens were in favor of restricting e-cigarettes, citing the belief that allowing minors to use e-cigarettes will encourage them to use other tobacco products in the future.

• Over half of parents (54%) and teens (62%) think it is easy for people under 18 to buy cigarettes.
• 93% of parents and 87% of teens were in favor of enforcing laws restricting sales of e-cigarettes to people under 18.
• 64% of parents and 71% of teens were in favor of banning candy- and fruit-flavored e-cigarette liquid.

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The FDA’s youth education campaign is part of their public campaign called “The Real Cost,” and is set to begin this fall. An exclusive youth-focused campaign will launch in 2018. For more information, visit fda.gov.