Healthy Kids Colorado 2021 Data Released June 15th

In the latest Health Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS), some promising trends in youth tobacco use have emerged. The percentage of high school students who use cigarettes has decreased (3%, down from 6%), and for the first time since 2015 current e-cigarette use among high school students has significantly decreased (16%, down from 26%). Unfortunately, the percentage of students who say they use vape products because they’re flavored increased to 23% and the percentage of students who smoke menthol cigarettes remains unchanged. Another concerning trend is the increase in the percentage of high schoolers who have tried vape products before the age of 13, (22%, up from 13%). Disparities also exist in tobacco use among youth of color and LBGTQIA+ youth. Youth mental health remains a concern with 40% of students experiencing feelings of depression in the past year and 51% saying they felt daily stress more often during the COVID-19 pandemic. The STEPP team, along with SE2, aim to have a press release template available for grantee use in the coming weeks. The full CDPHE HKCS press release can be found here. For more information, visit healthykidscolo.org.

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