State says less teens smoking cigarettes but smoking more cigars

BALTIMORE - While studies are showing a significant decrease in cigarette smoking among Maryland teens, cigar smoking is now making quite the push.

It is why the Maryland Department of Health chose the day of the Great American Smoke Out to warn teens and parents about this new trend.

The state says in the last decade there has been an 11 percent increase in teens smoking cigars.

But it is not your typical cigar, these tobacco products are cheap, sold individually and are fruit flavored.

______________________________

Surprising ways kids hide their pot

______________________________

You can buy them in just about any convenience store and the health department says more and more teens are.

"Not only do we see that in the state survey but we see that in the federal survey and if you look across the board at just sales, you see that sales of cigarettes across the board are going down and sales of cigars are going up.  So it is a real consistent and concerning picture," said MD Health Secretary Doctor Joshua Sharfstein.

The emerging trend is why the state launched its awareness campaign today hoping to educate parents and teens on what it calls the cigar trap.

For more information the state has also set up a website which you can view by clicking here.