VOA健康报道2024--Teen Smoking in US Drops to Lowest Level in 25 Years

 

A new government study suggests U.S. teen smoking rates reached an all-time low this year.

The study was a survey of American youth carried out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The survey involved middle school students - which includes grades six through eight - and high school students in grades nine through 12. Nearly 30,000 students from 283 U.S. schools took part in the effort, which was carried out from January to May.

An estimated 33 percent of youth took part in the voluntary survey.

The study showed a 20 percent drop in the number of middle and high school students who said they recently used at least one tobacco product. These include cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, nicotine¹ patches and hookahs.

That number decreased from 2.8 million last year to 2.25 million this year. The result suggested the change was the lowest usage rate of those products since the CDC survey began in 1999.

The Associated Press (AP) reports the drop is largely explained by another recent government survey showing e-cigarette use among U.S. youth in 2024 fell to its lowest level in 10 years.

The youth e-cigarette rate fell to under six percent this year, a drop of 7.7 percent over last year. That was the lowest rate at any time during the past 10 years. Government records show e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco products among teens. The second most common is the nicotine patch.

In 1999, nearly 30 percent of American high school students smoked. In 2024, it was just 1.7 percent. Currently, the share of middle school students who smoke is also at its lowest rate. Recent use of hookahs also dropped, from 1.1 to 0.7 percent.

CDC officials said the decreases are linked to several measures. These include product cost increases, public health education campaigns, age restrictions² and more aggressive enforcement actions against makers³ and sellers to children.

Among high school students, use of any tobacco product dropped from 13 to 10 percent in 2024 while e-cigarette use fell from 10 to eight percent. The survey showed there was no change reported for middle school students who generally vape or smoke less than older children.

The study found that tobacco use among girls and Hispanic students fell. But it rose among American Indian and Alaska Native students. The survey also showed the current use of nicotine patches increased among white youth.

Words in This Story

survey - n. an examination of people's opinions or behavior that is made by asking people questions

patch - n. a small container that sits on the skin and releases medication or other substances into the body

hookah - n. a device with a pipe that draws smoke through a container of water before it is breathed in

vape - v. to inhale or exhale vapor produced by electronic cigarettes or similar devices

1 nicotine   

n.(化)尼古丁，烟碱

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》