About 2.5 million middle and high school students in the United States reported using e-cigarettesa 21.5% increase over those who reported using those products last year, a new federal study shows.
The study, released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Food and Drug Administration, asked teens if they had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days.
In total, 9.4% of respondents said they were current users, including 14.1% of high school students and 3.3% of high school students.
“E-cigarette use by teens in the United States remains at worrying levels and poses a serious public health risk to our nation’s youth,” said Dr. Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, in a statement in conjunction with the study.
The researchers analyzed data from the National Youth Smoking Survey, a web-based survey in schools, administered between January 18, 2022, and May 31, 2022.
The results showed that among the students who reported use, 42.3% were frequent users, including 46% of high school students and 20.8% of high school students.
Additionally, more than one in four of those reporting use, or 27.6%, reported daily use.
When it came to the types of devices used, 55.3% said they used disposables, followed by 25.2% using pre-filled mineral refillable cartridges, and 6.7% using tanks or “mod systems”.
The vast majority of young e-cigarette users, 84.9%, used flavored products, that is, non-tobacco.
The most used flavor was fruit followed by candies, desserts or other sweets; mint; and menthol.
Puff Bar was the most used brand by students in the last 30 days. Rounding out the top five were Vuse, Juul, SMOK, and NJOY.
According to the CDC, e-cigarettes have been the most widely used “tobacco” product among American middle and high school students since 2014.
Exposure to nicotine from e-cigarettes can stunt brain development in teens and young adults, which can continue into their mid-20s, the CDC says, and can also increase the risk of addiction to other drugs.
The CDC also says that e-cigarettes may contain heavy metals and carcinogenic chemicals that can damage the lungs.
Politicians and anti-tobacco advocates have accused e-cigarette companies of using fancy flavors and designs to market vaping to American children and teens.