Parents: As Students Head Back to School, Teach Them About the Dangers of Tobacco

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- August 20, 2025

JACKSON, Miss. – As students return to school and spend more time with peers, it’s important to remind them of the dangers of smoking. Tobacco use usually starts during adolescence; in fact, 90% of adults who smoke cigarettes began the habit by the age of 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Youth are more likely to use tobacco products, including vaping, if they see their peers using it, but parental involvement and support lessen those odds.

Despite the Surgeon General’s warnings that smoking causes lung cancer and heart disease, tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. 

In Mississippi, 5,400 adults die each year from smoking, and 192,000 children are exposed to secondhand smoke at home.

In 2024, 10% of high school students and 5.4% of middle schoolers reported using some form of tobacco, with most using e-cigarettes. The increase in e-cigarette use is alarming because youth nicotine use can lead to addiction and harm the developing brain, impacting learning, memory, and attention.

Here are some trends to look for that may help parents help their children become tobacco-free:

·       Students who do poorly in school, have low self-esteem, or are from lower socioeconomic status are more likely to use tobacco products.

·       There is a strong relationship between youth smoking and depression, anxiety and stress.

·       High school athletes are more likely to use smokeless tobacco than non-athletes.

·       Genetic factors may make quitting smoking harder for young people.

·       Flavorings make tobacco products more appealing to youth. Most high school and middle school students who used e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches reported using a flavored variety.

The good news is that the MSDH Office of Tobacco Control can help.

The Tobacco Quitline is a free resource for online or telephone coaching, information, and support available for anyone interested in kicking the habit. Contact our experts to double your chances of successfully quitting at (800) 784-8669 or https://quitnow.net/ms.

Teens and young adults can also get help quitting vaping by visiting the Truth Initiative's EX Program at https://truthinitiative.org/exprogram

Our advice: If you don’t use tobacco, don’t start. But if you already smoke, vape, or dip, let us help you quit. Your health depends on it.

Download the new MSDH Healthy App for free in Apple and Android stores. Get up to date news and updates at: www.msdh.ms.gov.  and on social media: facebook.com/HealthyMS, twitter.com/msdh and Instagram.com/healthy.ms