More than 2.5 million adolescents currently use e-cigarette products, according to a study published Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About 85% of middle and high school students report using flavored e-cigarette products, with fruit flavors being the most popular, followed closely by candy, dessert, and mint flavors, according to the study. About 27% of teenagers who say they use e-cigarettes report using their devices daily, with another 42% saying they used them for more than 20 of the last 30 days.
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“This study shows that our nation’s youth continue to be enticed and hooked by an expanding variety of e-cigarette brands delivering flavored nicotine,” said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, in a press release. “Our work is far from over. It’s critical that we work together to prevent youth from starting to use any tobacco product — including e-cigarettes — and help all youth who do use them, to quit.”
The updated numbers come months after a study showed the growing popularity of vaping use among youth, reversing decades of declining rates of tobacco use. The latest report also marks a rise in e-cigarette usage compared to last year when 2 million adolescents said they regularly use the devices.
The numbers appear to have decreased from pre-pandemic levels, but CDC officials say this may be misleading “due to changes in methodology, actual behavior, or both.” Vaping among youth almost reached an “epidemic” high in 2019 when 5.4 million middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes, prompting the FDA warnings.
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The 2.5 million adolescents who say they currently use e-cigarettes make up about 14.1% of all high schoolers and 3.3% of all middle schoolers in the country, according to the study.
“Adolescent e-cigarette use in the United States remains at concerning levels, and poses a serious public health risk to our nation’s youth,” said Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.
The data were collected between January and May via an online survey distributed to middle school and high school students.
