A new CDC report released Tuesday found that nearly 70 percent of middle and high school kids have been exposed to some form of e-cigarette advertising.
Retail outlets were the most popular place kids saw the ads, according to the survey of more than 22,000 students. The internet, television and movies were next in line.
Public health officials are concerned about the rising use of e-cigarettes among young people partly because of mounting evidence that nicotine -- in any form -- has a negative impact on brain development, but also because experimentation with the addictive substance may lead to traditional cigarette smoking.
Ad spending among e-cig companies has increased side by side with reported use among young people, leading anti-smoking advocates to believe that the increase in ad exposure may be leading to increased use.
- E-cig advertising has grown exponentially in recent years. Spending has shot up from $6.4 million in 2011 to $115 million in 2014.
- Middle school e-cig use has grown from 1 percent to 4 percent since 2011, while high school use has risen from 2 percent to 13 percent in that time.
- E-cig use is now more popular among teens than traditional cigarette smoking
Click here for an in-depth Washington Post report on the issue
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