NEW YORK (AP) — A new federal report shows vaping rates among U.S. teenagers fell dramatically this year.
The drop comes in the wake of last year's outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths.
The national survey found that just under 20% of high school students and 5% of middle schools students were recent users of electronic cigarettes and other vaping products.
That marks a big decline from a similar survey last year that found about 28% of high school students and about 11% of middle school students recently vaped. That's a decline of about 1.8 million teens total.
The survey was done by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They looked at survey data from middle school and high school students, grades 6-12.
Despite the progress in lowering the number of teens using e-cigarettes, there are 3.6 million youth who currently use them. Of those, almost 83% use flavored e-cigarettes or vaping products.
In addition to the survey, the FDA announced their premarket review requirement of tobacco products to ensure they go through a “robust scientific evaluation” before hitting store shelves.
