Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that can harm brain development as well as affect mental and physiology well-being of tobacco users. Brain development beings from fetus to childhood until about the age of 25. A recent Institute of Medicine study supports raising the minimum sales age of tobacco from 18 years old to 21 years old. The new sales age limit would decrease tobacco use occurrence amongst youth by making it less accessible to them.
Although traditional tobacco use (cigarettes) has declined among youth and young adults, other types of tobacco use are increasing . The use of e-cigarettes (also known as vaping device) has grown rapidly in recent years, particular among youth and young adults. A Surgeon General’s report states electronic cigarette use among U.S. youth and young adults is now a major public health concern. E-cigarette use has increased considerably in recent years, growing 900% among high school students from 2011 to 2015. Additional, many tobacco users are now using multiple tobacco products. …show more content…
However, prevalence varies among sub-groups within the Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian population. The three leading causes of death among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are cancer, heart disease, and stroke, all of which can be caused by cigarette smoking. Asian American and Pacific Islander population is the only U.S. population suffering cancer as the leading cause of death. In particular, Asian Americans have the highest incidence and mortality rates of liver and stomach cancers--the most preventable cancers--largely due to high prevalence of related infections such as hepatitis