A new analysis by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) finds that Minnesota high school and middle school students who have asthma are more likely than their peers without asthma to vape, smoke and be exposed to secondhand smoke.
Analyzing data from the 2017 Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey, MDH researchers found nearly 30% of youth who have asthma are using a tobacco product compared to 24% of youth without asthma. E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco products among youth with or without asthma.
About one in five students in grades 6-12 reported they have asthma, according to the survey. Of those students, Minnesota youth who vaped or smoked were more likely to have frequent asthma symptoms in the past 30 days.
