Pierce County teens are self-reporting decreased use of vaping products over the past few years. Recent data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System showed that the percentage of Pierce County high school students in all grades who reported ever vaping declined from 36% in 2019 to 27% in 2021.
Several factors may have played into this positive trend. Federal laws changed in 2021 to prohibit the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to anyone under the age of 21. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned kid-friendly flavorings such as mint and fruit in cartridge or pre-filled pod devices like Juul. Community partners, including schools, healthcare providers and public health agencies have continued to spread the word about the dangers of vaping. Pierce County Public Health continued participating in the Wisconsin WINS program to help decrease youth access to tobacco products. This program uses a strategic approach to achieve success. It focuses on working with law enforcement and business to make our communities
healthier.
The state provides free online training to retailers to ensure their employees do not sell tobacco
products to minors.
Pierce County conducts over 30 compliance checks annually and congratulates retailers who
protect minors from harmful consequences of tobacco use.
“We are very excited to see decreasing vaping use trends in our schools, but we still have work to do,” Lana Stockwell, who led Pierce County Public Health’s last round of tobacco checks, said. “With 40% of high school seniors reporting that they have tried vaping, and 20% of high school seniors reporting they vaped in the last 30 days, we need to make sure that tobacco retailers, along with parents and our local community, continue working together to keep tobacco and nicotine products out of the hands of kids.”
Pierce County Public Health encourages parents to talk with their teens about the risks of tobacco use and discuss ways you can help and support them to manage stress. If you know someone trying to quit, encourage them to use the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line by calling 800-QUIT-NOW or texting “READY” to 200-400.
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