Giving Compass' Take:

• The Conversation explores recent data that shows how flavored e-cigarettes may be fueling a dangerous increase in tobacco use among teens.

• What does this mean for philanthropists involved in public health care and youth development? Will new restrictions implemented by the FDA have an impact?

• While teens are vaping in record numbers, binge drinking seems to be on the decline.

An upsurge in e-cigarette use among middle and high school students occurred nationally between 2011 and 2018, with nearly 21 of every 100 high school students surveyed reporting e-cigarette use in the past 30 days, according to data from experts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This trend is not by chance. Tobacco companies have spent billions of dollars annually on tobacco product advertisement, according to a Federal Trade Commission report, and have used appealing packaging, culturally tailored brand names and advertisements that appear to target specific minorities and youth. The colorful packaging and other strategies employed by the industry contribute to lower harm perceptions of these products and higher susceptibility to use among young people, according to researchers at the Center for Global Tobacco Control, Harvard School of Public Health and recent research on cigarillo packaging I conducted with my research team.

The FDA has announced efforts to impose restrictions on flavored e-cigarettes and tobacco products. FDA recognizes the high rates of e-cigarette use among young people as a public health concern, and sees the urgent need for stricter product access.

Read the full article about the increase in e-cigarette use in teens by Leah Ranney at The Conversation.