Youth E-Cigarette Use Is Down, but 3.6 Million Still Use E-Cigarettes

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with various partners, released two papers in Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) highlighting recent changes in U.S. e-cigarette use and sales. 

About 3.6 million U.S. youth reported current (in the past 30 days) e-cigarette use in 2020, reflecting a decline from 5.4 million in 2019, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) conducted in partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). NYTS also found that the types of e-cigarette products youth are using has shifted. Among youth e-cigarette users, pre-filled cartridges remained the most commonly used product type; however, disposable e-cigarette use has increased 1,000% among high school students and 400% among middle school students since 2019.

 NYTS findings also showed that most (8 in 10) current youth e-cigarette users reported using flavored e-cigarettes. While the use of fruit and mint flavored e-cigarettes was common among users in 2020, the use of menthol flavored e-cigarettes was also prominent.

NYTS data show increase in disposable e-cigarette use

 CDC and FDA analyzed data from the 2020 NYTS, a survey of U.S. middle (grades 6-8) and high (grades 9-12) school students conducted during January 16–March 16, 2020.

In 2020, 19.6% of high school students and 4.7% of middle school students currently used e-cigarettes, a decline from 27.5% and 10.5%, respectively, in 2019. Consistent with 2019 findings, pre-filled pods/cartridges were the most commonly used device type among youth e-cigarette users. However, from 2019 to 2020, disposable e-cigarette use increased from 2.4% to 26.5% (1,000%) among high school e-cigarette users and from 3.0% to 15.2% (400%) among middle school e-cigarette users.

Majority of youth e-cigarette users use flavored e-cigarettes

 A majority of youth e-cigarette users reported using flavored e-cigarettes in 2020, including 82.9% of high school e-cigarette users and 73.9% of middle school e-cigarette users.

 Among high school students who currently used any type of flavored e-cigarettes, the most common flavors were fruit (73.1%); mint (55.8%); menthol (37.0%); and candy, desserts, or other sweets (36.4%). Among middle school students, the most common flavors were fruit (75.6%); candy, desserts, or other sweets (47.2%); mint (46.5%); and menthol (23.5%).

Retail sales indicate rise in disposable products and menthol popularity

 For the second study, CDC, in collaboration with the CDC Foundation and Truth Initiative, analyzed retail scanner data during September 14, 2014–May 17, 2020, to assess trends in U.S. e-cigarette sales.

 The retail sales data are consistent with the NYTS data. While pre-filled cartridges remained the leading product type sold, disposable sales increased from 10.3% in August 2019 to 19.8% of total sales by May 2020. Among pre-filled cartridge sales, the proportion of mint sales declined beginning in August 2019, and by May 2020, menthol (61.8%) dominated the market.

Read the full report at: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0909-youth-e-cigarette-use-down.html