9 out of 10 people with addiction involving nicotine, alcohol or other drugs began using these substances before they were 18.
People who began using addictive substances before age 15 are nearly 7 times likelier to become addicted than those who delay first use until age 21 or older.
E-cigarette use has increased in recent years, especially among youth and young adults, who use e-cigarettes more than any other age group. E-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product among youth.
This year’s Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey of drug use and attitudes among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in hundreds of schools across the country continues to report promising trends, with past-year use of illicit drugs other than marijuana holding steady at the lowest levels in over two decades—5.8 percent among 8th graders, 9.4 percent among 10th graders, and 13.3 percent among 12th graders.
New York Raises Smoking Age from 18 to 21– July 2019. By raising the smoking age from 18 to 21, we can stop cigarettes and e-cigarettes from getting into the hands of young people in the first place and prevent an entire generation of New Yorkers from forming costly and potentially deadly addictions," Gov. Andrew Cuomo
A 2015 report from the National Health Interview Survey states that 40 percent of young adults who use e-cigarettes every day or some days were never smokers before trying e-cigarettes. 17
The 2018 NASEM report concluded that, “there is substantial evidence that e-cigarette use increases risk of ever using combustible tobacco cigarettes among youth and young.
Youth e-cigarette users cite flavors as a reason they begin using e-cigarettes. A study that included middle and high school students found that 43 percent of young people who ever used e-cigarettes tried them because of appealing flavors. 13
