Report warns of dramatic increase in vaping among youth

The American Lung Association is sounding the alarm again about young people and tobacco use in a new report.

In particular, they're calling on governments and communities to do more to fight a dramatic increase in vaping.

Cigarette smoking in the U.S. is at an all time low according to the American Lung Association's Annual State of Tobacco Control report, but a spike in youth vaping is threatening to send that progress up in smoke.

"We are really at the cusp of seeing another generation of America's kids lost to tobacco," Erika Sward told NBC News.

The report finds one in four high school students, and ten percent of middle school students, are using e-cigarettes.

Overall, more than six million youth are using some type of tobacco product.

"The surgeon general has made it clear that inhaling any form of nicotine can permanently alter adolescent brain development. It also fundamentally hurts your lung health," said Sward.

While the report gives congress an "A" grade for raising the legal age to buy tobacco to 21, it assigns the federal government, 42 states and the nation’s capital an "F" for funding tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

It also criticizes other policies, including the Trump administration's backtrack on removing flavored e-cigarettes from the market.

"It's more important than ever that states and local governments look to prohibit flavored tobacco sales in their communities," said Sward.

Other goals for the upcoming year include a push for higher taxes on e-cigarettes, a crackdown on the counterfeit market and stronger smoke-free laws across all states.

The report also breaks down individual states on categories including tobacco prevention, taxes and access to programs and medications that help tobacco users quit.

If you want to see how your state fared, go to: www.Lung.Org/sotc

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