A newly released report from the New York State Department of Health shows New York youth’s openness to smoking cigarettes has reached its highest level ever recorded, raising concerns among public health advocates despite historically low youth cigarette smoking rates.

According to the report, about 1 in 5 middle and high school students in New York who have never smoked cigarettes reported being “open to smoking” in 2024. Openness to smoking is considered an important early warning sign for future tobacco use and refers to youth who have not made a firm decision to avoid smoking in the future.

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