Alaska Report: Teen E-cigarette Use High, Smoking Declining

According to a report released by the Alaska Department of Public Health on May 16th, although the tobacco use rate among adults in Alaska has remained steady at 25% since 2014, the number of smokers has decreased. However, the teenage use of e-cigarettes remains high, with many obtaining them through friends, adults buying on their behalf, and online purchases.

The report titled "2023 Tobacco Facts Update" was released by the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program in Alaska, detailing trends starting from the 1990s. Geographically, tobacco use is lowest in Anchorage at 20%, while it is highest in the northern and southwestern regions at 45% and 44% respectively. The report indicates that all types of tobacco use are more common among Alaska Natives than non-Natives, but there is evidence to suggest that this gap has narrowed.

Meanwhile, cigarette usage in the state has been steadily declining over the past few decades, dropping from 128.6 packs sold per person in 1996 to 39.4 packs in 2021. The prevalence of all types of smokeless tobacco use has remained at 6% over the past 10 years.

Among teenagers, smoking cigarettes has become rare, but the use of e-cigarettes is very common. The smoking rate among teenagers has decreased from 37% in 1995 to 8% in 2019, but the usage rate of e-cigarettes has increased from 18% in 2015 to 26% in 2019.

The report reveals that approximately 46% of high school students in Alaska have tried an e-cigarette at least once, and teenagers who use e-cigarettes rely on social relationships to obtain the products. Data from 2019 shows that 45% of people borrow e-cigarettes, 14% pay others to purchase them, 8% receive them from adults, and another 8% buy them online.

At the time of the report's release, the state legislature is considering a bill aimed at reducing teen e-cigarette use. Senate Bill 89, introduced by Republican Senator Gary Stevens of Kodiak, proposes to impose the state's first-ever e-cigarette tax and raise the minimum purchasing age from the current 19 to 21, according to the original draft. However, the tax provision was removed in the version of the bill passed by the state House of Representatives.