While teen tobacco use in Michigan remains far below historic highs, data shows it’s beginning to rise again, fueling renewed calls to boost prevention spending that has fallen far short of federal recommendations.
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The future of a beloved dog statue on a New York warehouse is up in the airHot dogs and steaks and bacon, oh my! Meat raffles keep a beloved Midwest tradition alivePCOS is now called PMOS. What the name change means for careA photo captures President Trump and first lady awaiting British royals from rare White House angleThe World in PicturesDisease outbreak cuts Wyoming, Yellowstone wolf numbers to lowest level since reintroduction eraPCOS is now called PMOS.
What the name change means for careTrump administration widens Medicaid fraud crackdown to Florida, calling it a 'hotspot'Adults relive the musical camaraderie of their youth at band camps reprised for grown-upsUnderwater memorial to wrecked slave ship draws pilgrims seeking to connect with their rootsXi advierte a Trump que las diferencias sobre Taiwán podrían desencadenar un conflictoWhile teen tobacco use in Michigan remains far below historic highs, data shows it’s beginning to rise again, fueling renewed calls to boost prevention spending that has fallen far short of federal recommendations.
Tobacco use among high school students rose to 16.5% in 2023, up from 14% in 2021, according to the most recent data from the E-cigarettes were the most common form of tobacco used by Michigan high schoolers, including 11% of males and 19% of females, and use of both cigarettes and chewing tobacco products also rose slightly. Health advocates are highlighting those figures as they call for more spending on efforts to prevent tobacco use, which the state says remains the “This is something that has been a problem for teens for decades.
We know that cigarette smoking and tobacco use of other types lead to health problems down the road,” said Dr. David Ledgerwood,and professor at Wayne State University.
“Cigarette smoking is still the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. ”by $8.9 million to a total of $16 million next year by creating a new tax on e-cigarettes, otherwise known as vapes, and alternative nicotine products, such as Zyn pouches. That would still be less than 15% of the $110.6 million in spending the CDC recommends for Michigan, and neither House nor Senate lawmakers have included those new taxes in separately approved state budget bills.
Experts say any increase in youth tobacco use is concerning, given the long-term health implications.
“When people are young and develop a habit of smoking or using e-cigarettes or using other nicotine products, it can very well lead to … dependence on nicotine,” said Dr. David Ledgerwood, a clinical psychologist and professor at Wayne State University. “Introducing a drug like nicotine, or alcohol, or cannabis or any other drug can interfere with the natural development of the adolescent brain.
”goes to a Medicaid Benefits Trust Fund and the state’s School Aid Fund, which is used to support K-12 schools. Whitmer is proposing to raise the cigarette tax from $2 to $3 per pack as part of a broader plan to bolster Medicaid funding.is operated with $7.5 million in state and federal funding and supports youth cessation programs like My Life My Quit and outreach efforts aimed at reducing tobacco use among young people, according to Lynn Sutfin, a state health department spokesperson.
Tobacco use among high schoolers had been steadily declining until 2015, when the state reported a sharp jump attributed to e-cigarettes. As of 2023, about 35% of Michigan high schoolers said they’d tried e-cigarettes at least once, up from 33% in 2021. By comparison, 16% said they’d tried cigarettes at some point, up from 13% two years prior.
“Flavored products and nicotine patches serve as the gateway to hook the next generation of tobacco users,” said Kezia Ofosu Atta, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association. ”It’s difficult for tobacco companies to argue that they aren’t targeting the youth with flavors like bubble gum, watermelon and mango. ”the Michigan Department of Transportation to enforce the existing law to prohibit the advertisement of vape products as well but that effort did not lead to a state law.
Teens continue to report frequent exposure to tobacco advertising in everyday settings. The majority of students see tobacco advertisements at the convenience store, gas station or when they’re watching movies or using the internet.
“Marketing is a huge part of this conversation. We know that these products are marketed directly to our kids, especially when we look at these products have evolved over the last five years,” said Jodi L. Radke, regional director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
“Oftentimes, our teens who are experimenting with these products believe that they are just flavored vapor or flavored water,” Radke said. “Nicotine is physiologically just as addictive as heroin. Some of these newer products that have come to market … have the equivalent of 200 cigarettes worth of nicotine. ” Billboard advertising for cannabis is permitted in Michigan, where marijuana use among teenagers and adolescents has become more prevalent.
In the past 30 days, roughly 7% of eighth graders, 16% of 10th graders, and 26% of 12th graders used cannabis,. Within that same time frame, nearly 40% of high school students have reported trying marijuana and 22% had used it. State and federal law prohibit adults under the age of 21 from buying tobacco, a change Michigan also codified in state law.
“ is not a normal thing to do at our age but it’s normalized by the people that we’re around,” said Arianna Banford, 18 and a senior at Osborn High School. “People can smoke right in front of you because it’s normalized and they don’t feel any type of shame or think there’s anything wrong with it. ”of Michigan retailers failed underage and undercover compliance checks conducted last year by the US Food and Drug Administration, according to federal data.
In 2025, 499 Michigan retailers received warning letters for first-time violations, and another 231 were fined. Some stores check IDs for vape pens, but “there are stores that don’t — and everyone knows the stores that don’t,” Banford said.
“… So they tell a friend who tells a friend. The governor’s proposal to raise the cigarette tax from $2 to $3 per pack would raise an estimated $232 million for Medicaid, not tobacco prevention. But advocates say the tax increase – which would be the state’s first in 22 years – could deter tobacco use.
“We’re not going to do any of that,” Hall said after Whitmer unveiled her executive budget and tax proposals in February. “There will be no tax increases in this budget when we do this deal. ”
Matt Hall Gretchen Whitmer Teens Vaping Smoking Taxes Schools General News MI State Wire Marijuana Health Jodi L. Radke Business Retail And Wholesale Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Kezia Ofosu Atta U.S. News U.S. News
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