E-Cigarette Use Near Schools
March 8, 2018
The Question: Does the location of e-cigarette retailers near high schools increase the odds of students using the product?
The Study: The e-cigarette use of students in 41 New Jersey high schools was determined by answers to the 2014 New Jersey Tobacco Survey. The number of e-cigarette retailers within a half-mile radius of the school was measured.
The Results: Almost 25% of the students admitted to having tried e-cigarettes, and more than 12% had used them within the last month. The proximity of e-cigarette retailers to schools was directly related to ever use and past-month use of e-cigarettes.
Comment: This finding makes sense intuitively, but correlation doesn’t mean causation. Additional studies are needed to draw a causation conclusion.
Read More: Journal of Adolescent Health, 12/16