Puffed out
Teachers, schools, and health authorities might just be winning the war against e-cigarettes, at least if the latest annual National Youth Tobacco Survey is anything to go by, as current usage figures drop to the lowest point in a decade.
Overall, half a million fewer middle and high school students reported using e-cig and vaping products in the last 30 days in 2024, with just 5.9% of America’s youth now classed as “current” users, compared to 7.7% last year. The drop off was mostly attributed to students in high schools, where reported current usage figures are down 20% from the 2019 peak.
Elf barred
The falling rates reflect increased efforts to curb young Americans’ vaping appetite, which soared in US schools in the mid-to-late 2010s. Legislation originally introduced in 2019 that made it illegal for retailers to sell e-cigs to under 21s, for instance, has now been updated so that anyone below 30 will have to provide photo ID to buy a vape as of the end of this month.
Although the director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products described the continuing decline as a “monumental public health win”, some are still wary of the rise of unauthorized vapes from China (like Elf Bars, favored by 36% of young current vapers), as well as the rising popularity of nicotine pouches like Zyn.
