With school back in session, now's a good time to talk tobacco

Teenage tobacco use has declined over the last decade, however, as local students are going back to school, the Panhandle Public Health District stresses the importance of parents talking to their kids about the risks of smoking.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 90 percent of smokers start the habit before age 18, the legal age for purchasing tobacco.

“Current adult smokers are more likely to report that they smoked their first cigarette before the age of 13,” said Tabi Prochazka, Tobacco Free in the Panhandle Coordinator with Panhandle Public Health Dis...