A new report from the American Lung Association shows how Florida stacks up when it comes to reducing tobacco use.
Florida must do more to prevent and reduce tobacco use, according to "The State of Tobacco Control."
The report states that more than 480,000 people die every year in the U.S. due to tobacco usage. Tobacco remains the nation's leading cause of preventable death and disease.
Florida earned failing grades in its effort to reduce tobacco consumption.
One of the main reasons was the epidemic-level rise of e-cigarette use among high school students. From 2017 to 2018, it increased by 78 percent. That means more than a million kids are smoking e-cigarettes.
The American Lung Association is calling on the Florida Legislature to enact Amendment 9, approved by voters last year, which expands current smoke-free protections to include e-cigarettes, or vaping.
Image credit: vaping360.com/e-cigarettes/