Â鶹ŮÓÅ

Fewer high school students are vaping this year, the government reported Thursday. In a survey, 10% of high school students said they had used electronic cigarettes in the previous month, down from 14% last year. Use of any tobacco product — including cigarettes and cigars — also fell among high schoolers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. (Stobbe and Perrone, 11/2)

Although the number of high schoolers who are currently using tobacco decreased, the rate of middle schoolers who used at least one tobacco product increased from 4.5% to 6.6% in the past year. (Chernikoff, 11/2)

One thing is clear about underage e-cigarette use: Adolescents like flavors. About 90 percent of the students who reported vaping said they used flavored products, citing favorites that tasted like fruit and candy. Teenagers identified Elf Bar and Esco Bar as their favorite brands, well-known for flavors like strawberry kiwi and watermelon ice. Public health advocates in California recognized the allure, leading to a yearslong fight to pass a ban on flavored tobacco products, which took effect in December. It quickly led to falling sales, according to data from the C.D.C. Foundation. (Jewett, 11/2)