Nancy Brown, chief executive of the American Heart Association, which is celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world's leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health, issued the following statement in response to the released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
"The latest government figures show that youth tobacco use is at its lowest level in a quarter century, a highly encouraging trend that means fewer of our nation's children are becoming addicted to nicotine, and fewer of them will suffer from tobacco-related diseases as a result. This progress is the result of strong public policies at the federal, state and local levels that help prevent the tobacco industry from targeting youth with addictive and harmful products. The data are also the result of effective education efforts by the public health community and others that warn youth about the hazards of tobacco use and provide resources to help them quit.
"However, the fact that 2.25 million middle- and high-school students continue to use tobacco products should remain a cause of deep concern. Even more, disparities in tobacco use among youth point to especially troubling trends, particularly for American Indian and Alaska Native youth. We also remain concerned about the ongoing use of e-cigarettes and the popularity of new products such as nicotine pouches.
"The data point to the critical need for strong regulation to prohibit the tobacco industry from targeting communities nationwide with harmful products once and for all. We continue to urge the White House to finalize strong rules that will end the sale of menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars. We also implore the FDA to complete its review of all premarket tobacco applications and remove all unauthorized tobacco products from the market. At the same time, elected officials at all levels of government should eliminate the sale of all flavored tobacco products and impose restrictions on the marketing and sale of all tobacco products. In addition, federal and state programs that help youth and others to quit tobacco use must continue."
