Statewide Iowa — The American Heart Association says progress has been made in stopping kids from smoking and vaping — but there is still a lot of work to do.
The Association’s Jeff Willett says there was good news on the topic.
Willett talked during an online presentation about the challenges they still face.
He says flavors were banned in reusable electronic cigarettes — but there is a loophole for single-use e-cigarettes — and they have seen a one-thousand percent increase nationwide in the use of disposable e-cigarettes by high school students, and a 500 percent increase in the use by middle school students. And he cited one company that is trying another approach for its e-cigarette.
Willett says they believe the reduction in the use of e-cigarettes could be linked to publicity about the lung disease caused by the practice, and the federal change raising the age for using them to 21.
Willett says there has been some recent good news from the FDA.
Willet was part of an update Wednesday designed to give schools updated information on the issues surrounding tobacco and e-cigarette use.
