Clearing up the air: Youth E-Cigarette Use on the Decline
As evidenced by current statistics, the number of youths who reported using e-cigarettes in 2024 is approximately one-third of what it reached at its peak in 2019 when over five million young individuals indicated they were current e-cigarette users.
One of the most common fear-mongering tactics used to attack those who wish to remain smoke-free is the statistics surrounding youth usage of e-cigarettes. The public is incorrectly led to believe that flavors and ease of access have caused a pronounced spike in the youth using nicotine products, most commonly vaping. This could not be further from the truth and is indeed very misleading.
Three weeks ago, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new report utilizing data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) which displayed a significant drop in usage from 2023 to 2024.
The last time the survey was conducted a year ago, 7.7% of middle and high school students reported using a vaporizer product in the past 30 days. In 2024, just 5.9%, or 1.21 million respondents reported the same! This sizable decrease comes despite the fact that the e-cigarette market is continuing to grow in the USA as more adults make the switch from combustible tobacco. What’s even more heartening is the noticeably small share of junior high and high school students that reported using nicotine pouches, with under 2% stating they had used them in the past 30 days. Nicotine pouches are an emergent category under the smokeless nicotine umbrella, consisting of popular brands like Zyn and Rogue. It is abundantly clear that these new alternatives are not drawing the attention of underage users.
Big Tobacco companies have a vested interest in keeping users hooked on cigarettes and away from vapes. They want you to believe that vaping is an epidemic running rampant throughout the school system. The data speaks for itself. As vaping loses its novelty appeal, youth use is highly likely to decline continuously. Placing restrictions or bans on proven harm-reducing products is not the answer to youth use, and the problem itself is certainly overstated!
Misinformation about youth e-cigarette usage is prevalent and widespread. Big Tobacco companies are working to prop up these narratives, making pushing legislation that hurts small businesses easier. “Mom and Pop” shops are the driving force behind the vapor market in the U.S., a real threat to big money like RJ Reynolds and Altria.
