Hawaii Takes Action to Combat Tobacco Use and Teen Vaping

According to a report from Khon2 on October 24th, the city of Honolulu, Hawaii, in an effort to combat tobacco use, has taken action. Mayor Rick Blangiardi has signed a bill that prohibits the sale of flavored tobacco products on the island of Oahu.

According to the latest data, 97% of adolescent e-cigarette users have used flavored products in the past month. In the past three years, there has been a significant increase in usage among middle and high school students.

According to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the use of flavored e-cigarette liquids has fueled the popularity of e-cigarettes. In the past month alone, 97% of teenage e-cigarette users have reported using flavored products. Furthermore, between 2017 and 2019, the usage of e-cigarettes among high school students has more than doubled, while middle school students' usage has more than tripled.

Since the enactment of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the use of additives in traditional cigarettes has been banned. Officials claim that this prohibition has resulted in a 58% decrease in youth smoking and an overall 17% reduction in smoking likelihood among this age group.