Australia’s tobacco tax will be increased by billions of dollars over the next four years as the government cracks down on smoking and vaping.

Each day, more than 3,500 kids begin vaping, according to the American Heart Association.

NEW YORK Vaping rates among U.S. teenagers fell dramatically this year, according to a federal report released Wednesday. That marks a dramatic decline from a similar survey last year that found about 28% of high school students and 11% of middle school students recently vaped. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts the national survey of more than 20,000 middle and high school students. It asks students if they had used any vaping or traditional tobacco products in the previous month. CDC officials gradually focused their investigation on black market THC cartridges, and on a chemical compound called vitamin E acetate that had been added to illicit THC vaping liquids.

Copyright 2019 CNN(CNN) - Vaping companies are under scrutiny for how their marketing and sweet flavors have appealed to young people -- and two new studies published Monday illustrate how both may have influenced vaping habits. The researchers are among the voices now debating restrictions or bans on sales of flavored vaping products -- many including mint and menthol, which some experts say also attract kids. A number of states -- including Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington, Rhode Island and New York -- have moved to restrict or ban the sales of flavored vaping products. Proponents of flavors, including vapers themselves, say they can be a useful tool in helping adult smokers quit. While vaping content on social media is often user-generated, a number of videos and posts have been sponsored by the vaping industry or shared by paid influencers, as well.

(CNN) - Vaping, often described as an "epidemic" in middle and high schools, was not significantly different among adults in the United States in 2014 vs. 2018, according to survey results published Monday. However, those numbers had been declining from 2014 to 2017, preceding an uptick largely attributable to the increasing popularity of vaping among 18- to 24-year-olds. In that age group, prevalence of e-cigarette use rose from 5.2% in 2017 to 7.6% in 2018. "A significant increase between 2017 and 2018 occurred among young adults, but no such increase occurred in middle-aged or older adults." Meanwhile, the prevalence of vaping among youth has continued to skyrocket, according to other surveys of middle and high school students.