Youth E-Cigarette Use Remains a Public Health Concern

Strategic Insights -

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, which reveals that in 2020, 20% of high school students and nearly 5% of middle school students in the United States used e-cigarettes. The data also shows that among youth e-cigarette users, 38.9% of high school students and 20% of middle school students reported using e-cigarettes on 20 or more of the past 30 days, and 22.5% of high school users and 9.4% of middle school users reported daily use. The alarming levels of e-cigarette use among youth have been attributed to the FDA's passive approach to regulation, which has allowed e-cigarette companies to continue selling flavored products, a major enticement for kids.

Key Takeaways:

  • The CDC's National Youth Tobacco Survey data shows that in 2020, 20% of high school students and nearly 5% of middle school students used e-cigarettes, highlighting a continued public health concern.
  • Among youth e-cigarette users, 38.9% of high school students and 20% of middle school students reported using e-cigarettes on 20 or more of the past 30 days, indicating a high level of use.
  • 22.5% of high school users and 9.4% of middle school users reported daily e-cigarette use, which can lead to serious illness and lung disease.
  • The FDA's failure to regulate e-cigarettes has been criticized for contributing to the rise in youth e-cigarette use, with flavored products being a major factor in enticing kids to try e-cigarettes.
  • The American Thoracic Society (ATS) has called for the FDA to enact a complete flavorings ban on tobacco products, including menthol, and to invest in identifying effective nicotine cessation treatments for kids.
  • Doctors have very few tools to treat kids who are addicted to e-cigarettes, with no FDA-approved nicotine cessation products available for youth.

Statistics:

  • 20% of high school students and nearly 5% of middle school students used e-cigarettes in 2020.
  • 38.9% of high school students and 20% of middle school students reported using e-cigarettes on 20 or more of the past 30 days.
  • 22.5% of high school users and 9.4% of middle school users reported daily e-cigarette use.
  • E-cigarette use among youth has led to a significant increase in lung disease and addiction.

Sources:

  • "Vaping, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), and Other Nicotine Delivery Systems (NDS) (https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/vaping-electronic-nicotine-delivery-systems.pdf)"
  • CDC's National Youth Tobacco Survey data (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/pdfs/mm6937e1-H.pdf)