West Virginia ranks among top states for teen tobacco use, ranks #1 for e-cigarette usage

WEST VIRGINIA — People have been smoking cigarettes for over 300 years and have come a long way since being created from cigar scraps in the 1700s .

From cigar scraps to e-cigarettes, the one common factor in the history of tobacco use is that, most commonly, people are first introduced to tobacco as an adolescent.

A new study conducted by Yocan Vaporizer , a vape manufacturer, has identified the US states with the highest rates of adolescent smokers based on high school usage data.

According to the research, West Virginia ranks among the top states with an alarming teenage smoking rate.

The study utilized data from the American Lung Association, which collated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, sourced from various state and national surveys from 2019-2022. The survey’s define “tobacco use” as having used cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, or electronic vapor products on at least one day during the 30 days before the survey.

States with the highest rate of high school tobacco usage:

Alaska is the state ranking first in adolescent smoking, with research showing that 33.7% of high schoolers used tobacco products on at least one day during the 30 days before the survey. Data shows that adolescent tobacco usage in the Last Frontier is 15.28% higher than the national average of 18.42%. Additionally, 8.4% of students have smoked at least one cigarette in the same period, making Alaska the leading state for both cigarette and overall tobacco use among teens.

West Virginia shares the second-place position with Montana for adolescent tobacco usage. Research shows that 27% of adolescents used tobacco products in the Mountain State. However, research shows teens prefer e-cigarettes over traditional smoking, ranking number one in the country with e-cigarette use at 27.5%.

Montana also has a 27% usage among high schoolers. However, research indicates that teens explore a wide variety of tobacco products. The Treasure State is ranked third-highest for teens smoking cigarettes, with a usage rate of 7%.

According to research, New Mexico has the third-highest rate of adolescent smokers in America. The data revealed that 25.6% of high schoolers had used a tobacco product in the survey timeframe. However, the Land of Enchantment, has a cigarette smoking rate that is much lower, at just 3.7%, ranking them in 31st place for cigarette use nationally.

Ranking fourth place, according to data, is Louisiana. Research shows an adolescent tobacco usage rate of 25.5% which is 7% higher than the national average. The Pelican State has a high number of e-cigarette usage at 25.5% the third highest in the U.S.

Oregon ranks fifth in overall tobacco use, with research showing 23.1% of high schoolers using tobacco products during the research period. The Beaver State also has a high prevalence of e-cigarette use, ranking eleventh in the country with 21.4% of teens vaping.

Sixth place goes to North Dakota, with research showing a tobacco usage rate of 23% in high schoolers. According to data, this puts the Peace Gardens students’ rate of smoking 4.68% above the national average.

In seventh place, 22.5% of students in Kentucky admitted to using tobacco products, 4.58% more than the national average. Additionally, research shows that 21.9% of high schoolers in the Bluegrass State use e-cigarettes, ranking the state seventh in the United States for vaping.

Eighth place goes to the state of Oklahoma, with 22.1% of high schoolers using tobacco products during the study. However, the Sooner State is doing better than most states for cigarette smoking, ranking 25th in the country for high school cigarette usage at 4%, which is 0.13% less than the national average.

According to the study, Mississippi ranks ninth place, where 21.6% of high schoolers use tobacco products, with 5.9% smoking cigarettes during the research period.

Missouri places tenth, with a tobacco use rate of 21.3% and a high school smoking rate of 5.1%.

Louis Lou from Yocan Vaporizer spoke on the findings, stating, “Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights the urgent need for more effort to reduce smoking, especially in adolescents. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the US. Annually, smoking causes over 480,000 deaths, accounting for approximately one in every five deaths.

“It is noteworthy that adolescent use of e-cigarettes far surpasses that of traditional cigarettes, despite e-cigarettes’ initial design to assist in smoking cessation. This trend highlights a troubling pattern wherein teenagers are adopting vaping without prior cigarette smoking experience.”

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