HEALTH WATCH

STUDY SAYS Risk of cigarette use among youth increases by age 18

A new study published in JAMA has found that among youths “nonsusceptible” to cigarette use, nearly half became susceptible by age 18.

The cohort study examined 15,776 youths who had never used cigarettes. Among them, 11,022 were determined to be nonsusceptible to cigarette use. By 18 years old, however, 46.2% had become susceptible to cigarette use. Among never users, 24.4% had smoked at least one cigarette, 16.4% had smoked a cigarette within the past 30 days, and 4.3% were fairly regular smokers.

“The results of this cohort study suggest that, despite current interventions and existing laws, a large number of youth initiated cigarette use before the legal age to purchase tobacco products,” concluded the study. “Results suggest that prevention interventions and educating the public about targeting specific ages, particularly before age 17 to 18 years, may reduce cigarette use initiation.”

NUTRITION STATION Why you should maybe avoid iced coffee

Iced coffee is delicious and highly convenient, but drinking your coffee this way can cause you to drink too much caffeine, which can affect your quality of sleep.

But choosing green tea, according to Eat This, Not That, will not only benefit your sleep, but your skin as well.

“Downing too much caffeine can interfere with sleep quality, cutting into this rejuvenation time and prematurely aging the skin. What’s more, researchers have found that repetitive facial movements, like sipping through a straw, can cause fine lines and wrinkles. … Instead of sucking down your daily iced coffee with skim, sip on hot green tea, which may ward off wrinkles by fighting inflammation and improving the skin’s elasticity.”

HEALTH STAT 90

According to the CDC, about 90% of Americans older than 2 consume too much sodium. For most people ages 14 years and older, sodium should not exceed 2,300 mg per day.