WASHINGTON, D.C. June 12, 2014 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released results from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) survey showing youth cigarette use has declined to 15.7 percent, a historic low. Following is a statement the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN): Historically low youth cigarette smoking rates are proof that mass media efforts about the hazards of smoking and proven public health policies that raise tobacco taxes, establish smoke-free places as the social norm and fund tobacco prevention programs are working. As the Surgeon General reported in January, cigarettes are the product that causes much of the tobacco-related disease and death in this country, and tobacco companies have only made them more deadly over the years. But, the decline in youth cigarette smoking rates is only half of the story presented in this data. Some youth are turning to other tobacco products that either are less expensive because they aren 't taxed at the same rate as cigarettes or aren 't regulated by the FDA. The CDC survey showed no decline in youth use of smokeless products and a slowing decline in the use of cigars, and a CDC study released last year showed a doubling in the use of e-cigarettes among middle and high school-aged students. It is imperative that the FDA quickly finalize its proposal to regulate e-cigarettes and all other tobacco products, and that federal and state lawmakers combat the industry 's despicable tactics by subjecting these products to tobacco control policies that increase their price, limit their use and help people quit. We 've made progress in our battle against tobacco addiction in this country, but we cannot rest on past success. According to the Surgeon General, 5.6 million youth are expected to die prematurely from tobacco-related disease if we do not take further action. If we 're going to achieve a tobacco-free generation, lawmakers must continue to utilize the evidence-based solutions they have at their fingertips to reduce youth use of all tobacco products. ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visitæhttps://www.fightcancer.org/. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Lauren Walens or Steven Weiss American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Phone: (202) 661-5763 or (202) 661-5711 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] #YRBS #CDC #smoking #cigarette #smokefree #ACSCAN #Congress #FDA