Fifty years ago, more than three years after the last cigarette commercial aired on television, print ads claimed that “Salem refreshes naturally,” that “We (Winston) put good taste in a whole new light,” and that Benson & Hedges 100s were “America’s favorite cigarette break.”
All the ads showed handsome young people enjoying a cigarette.
In 1974, according to the National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse, around 43% of teenagers ages 17 to 19 smoked. By 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 1.9% of high school students smoked.
However, thanks to the advent of e-cigarettes and other forms of tobacco, 12.6% of high school students still use tobacco products.
Hamilton County Schools prohibits both smoking and the use of any tobacco products on school grounds — including bleachers, athletic fields, auditoriums and public restrooms — but many students aren’t aware that vaping and e-cigarettes have harmful effects. So the school district has implemented a required online course.