Cuomo Announces Record Low Youth Smoking Rate In New York
The number of high school students in New York who smoke continues to go down.
Governor Andrew Cuomo's Office says the state's high school student smoking rate of 4.3 percent in 2016 was the lowest on record, down from 27 percent in 2000.
However, a survey by the New York State Department of Health found that e-cigarette use by high school students has nearly doubled in the last two years, from 10.5 percent to just over 20 percent.
"These startling numbers demonstrate both the overwhelming success of New York's anti-smoking programs – which have led to record low teen cigarette use – and the need to close dangerous loopholes that leave e-cigarettes unregulated," Governor Cuomo said. "Combating teen tobacco use in all of its forms today will help create a healthier tomorrow for an entire generation of New Yorkers."
Cuomo's Executive Budget proposes regulating e-cigarettes in a manner similar to traditional cigarettes to address growing health concerns.