UNC Charlotte Research: Charlotte Youths Smoke Less But Use E-Cigarettes and Marijuana More

Charlotte youths are smoking fewer cigarettes than ever before, but using electronic cigarettes more, according to a new UNC Charlotte report.

While the Youth Drug Survey of middle and high school students from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools found just 3.3 percent of respondents had smoked cigarettes over a 30-day period, nearly 13 percent had consumed e-cigarettes.

Researchers from the Center for Prevention Services and UNC Charlotte called the e-cigarette trend “alarming.” The report noted that 34 percent of white youths reported smoking e-cigarettes, nearly double the next highest racial group.

Andrew Reynolds, a social work professor at UNC Charlotte who conducted the Charlotte survey, told the Observer that the popularity of e-cigarettes among youths is concerning. The flavors in the product have been linked to chemicals that can have negative health-effects, Reynolds said. “You don’t know exactly what you are consuming,” he said. “How much nicotine do they contain?”

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by: Fred Clasen-Kelly