Nearly Half Of RI High Schoolers Say They've Tried Vaping

The number of Rhode Island high schools students who use e-cigarettes has nearly tripled over the last two years, according to a new data the state's Department of Health. A new report from the department said that half of students reported that they tried vaping.

The alarming statistics come from this year's Youth Risk Behavior Study. According to the report, 10.2 percent of students reported "frequent" use of e-cigarettes, up from just 3.7 percent in 2017. "Frequent" use is defined as vaping 20 or more times over the past month.

In addition, 48.9 percent of students reported that they had tried vaping, and 30.1 said they currently vape, up 10 percent from 20.1 percent in 2017. "Current" use means a student has vaped at least one time over the past month.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey is conducted by the department every two years.

"These numbers are a wake-up call for all of us," Governor Gina Raimondo said. "Electronic cigarettes are dangerous. They’re also responsible for getting more teenagers addicted to nicotine every year, primarily because of products that come in candy-like flavors. That’s why I took action this September. Nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our kids."

On Sept. 25, Raimondo signed an executive ordering calling for the department to issue emergency health regulations to ban the sale of flavored vaping products. The ban went into effect on Oct. 4.

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, most young people report using flavored products, and say that the flavors are the main reason they vape.

The ban was challenged by a lawsuit filed by a vaping organization, but a judge ruled that it could remain in place on November 5, the department said.

As part of her executive order, the governor called for the creation of a Vaping Advisory Committee, which met for the first time on Oct. 30. The committee is made up of students, school officials, medical professionals, businesspeople and more. Its aim is to monitor developments in the state and across the nation, then recommend the best next steps.

"Every young person in Rhode Island deserves the chance to grow up healthy," said the department's Director of Health, Nicole Alexander-Scott. "To make this possible, we have to act on e-cigarettes now. Our history with traditional, lit cigarettes tells us that targeted, aggressive policies aimed at keeping kids safe can have dramatic impacts on rates of youth use. While putting policies in place related to flavored products, we’re working hard to let people know that there are safe, effective resources in Rhode Island for quitting. Help is available today at no cost."

The report also showed that vaping is on the rise among mile schoolers as well. This year, 16.4 percent reported that they had tried vaping, up from 15.7 percent in 2017. 6.5 percent reported that they currently use e-cigarettes.