CDC: High School Students Smoking Less Cigarettes, Opt For E-Cigs

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Cigarette smoking among high school students has dropped to its lowest levels in nearly 25 years but something else is concerning health officials.

About 11 percent of high school students say they smoke cigarettes - a significant drop from the 28 percent back in 1991, according to a survey released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday.

The survey - taken in 2015 - also showed about 24 percent of high school students had used e-cigarettes within the past 30 days. It's something that concerns CDC officials.

"Current cigarette smoking is at an all-time low, which is great news. However, it's troubling to see that students are engaging in new risk behaviors, such as using e-cigarettes," said CDC Director Tom Frieden.

The release of the survey comes a month after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended its authority to cover all tobacco products including e-cigarettes. For the first time, they also included a restriction on the sale of e-cigarettes to minors nationwide.