October 7, 2022 — More than 2.5 million middle and high school students in the United States use electronic cigarettes, according to a new study from the CDC and the FDA.
The 2022 National Youth Smoking Survey, conducted between January and May, showed that 14% of high school students and 3.3% of middle school students used nicotine devices at least once in class. of the last 30 days. A year ago, the survey showed that 11.3% of high school students and 2.8% of college students said they had vaped in the previous month.
The figures remain lower than data from 2019, which showed that more than 25% of high school students vaped. Even still, anti-tobacco and anti-vaping groups have urged federal regulators to phase out flavored vaping products that are popular among teens.
In this year’s survey, 85% of teens who vaped said they used flavored e-cigarettes. The flavors most used were fruit (69%); sweets, desserts or sweets (38%); mint (29%); and menthol (27%).
“It is unacceptable that over 2.5 million children are still using e-cigarettes when there is a clear solution to the problem – eliminating all flavored e-cigarettes,” said Matthew Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free. Kids, says USA Today.
The FDA has banned flavored tobacco-derived vaping products. However, users are increasingly turning to synthetic nicotine products, which are often disposable and sold in a variety of flavors, the newspaper reported.
In 2022, teens reported several different favorite brands, unlike 2019, when JUUL was the most recognized brand. Of those who currently vape, 14.5% said their usual brand was Puff Bar, followed by 12.5% for Vuse, 5.5% for Hyde, and 4% for SMOK. Additionally, nearly 22% said their usual brand was not among the 13 listed in the survey.
About 28% of youth reported using e-cigarettes daily and 42% reported using them 20 or more days in the past 30 days.
Additionally, about 55% of teenage vapers reported using disposable e-cigarettes. About 25% use pre-filled or refillable pods, and 7% use reservoirs or mod systems. Another 23% said they didn’t know what type of device they were using.
“This study shows that our nation’s youth continue to be attracted and hooked by a growing variety of e-cigarette brands that deliver flavored nicotine,” said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of the CDC’s Office of Tobacco and Health. . in a report.
“Our work is far from done,” she said. “It is essential that we work together to prevent young people from starting to use tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, and to help all young people who use them to quit.