Health officials say teenagers are using e-cigarettes at epidemic rates. Lawmakers in a number of Midwest states, like Indiana, Illinois and Minnesota, are addressing the problem and so is the FDA. Side Effects Public Media spoke with Mitch Zeller, director of the agency's Center for Tobacco Products, about efforts to curb the use of smokeless tobacco among youth.
For decades, public health advocates have pushed for limits on smoking. They've included warning labels on products to limits on where someone can light up, all of which have helped bring down smoking rates. But in Illinois, a push to raise the smoking age has repeatedly failed to become law. We took a look at this year's push, and what chance it has at becoming law.
Smoking looks a lot different these days. It’s been on the decline, due to restrictions at work and in bars and restaurants. But there is one segment—teenagers who use e-cigarettes—that is growing fast. And health experts are worried about the consequences.
On The 21st: Bus company Suburban Express is facing a civil rights inquiry after circulating an email ad that singled out Chinese students. Plus, what anti-smoking ads look like when tobacco companies are forced to make them as part of a court ruling. But first, some tips on how to make sure you're donating smartly to charities.
While the smoking rate has declined overall in the United States, national data show it remains high among the poor. The Polis Center’s research found that in some low-income Indianapolis neighborhoods, with higher numbers of people of color, the smoking rate is 29.4 percent, nearly twice the national average.
