The Tobacco Industry Targets Vermont Youth
Flavors and colorful packaging make tobacco products look much more appealing to young people.
CounterBalance works to raise awareness about the dangers of flavored tobacco products.
The tobacco industry uses minty flavors and colorful packaging to make e-cigarettes, little cigars and chew seem more appealing. Find out what you can do to take a stand against flavored tobacco.
A Threat to Youth
of e-cigarette users ages 12-25 use flavored e-cigarettes in Vermont. Among youth who had vaped in the last 30 days, 31% used every day (SOURCE).
Teens are nearly 7x more likely to vape nicotine than adults. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s (source).
of youth vape users report getting their devices from a friend or family member (source).
The tobacco industry spends more than $15 million in Vermont each year annually advertising and promoting their products (source). Tobacco companies lower pricing to encourage youth to start using tobacco products and offer coupons and other price discounts, which encourage regular smoking or vaping. The more youth are exposed to flavored tobacco products and advertising, the more likely they are to start using tobacco.