Significant Drop in Youth E-Cigarette Use Marks Progress, But Nearly 40% of Teens Who Vape Frequently Remain at High Risk for Nicotine Addiction, a Serious Public Health Concern

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Sep 05, 2024, 13:15 ET

Statement from Kathy Crosby, Truth Initiative CEO and President

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) shows significant progress in reducing youth e-cigarette use, with half a million fewer middle and high school students currently vaping. However, despite this encouraging decline from 2.1 million in 2023 to 1.63 million in 2024, the survey reveals a troubling reality: youth nicotine addiction remains a serious public health concern. Among middle and high school students who currently vape, nearly 40% — over 620,000 teens — report using e-cigarettes frequently (38.7%), signaling signs of persistent nicotine addiction.

Nicotine pouch use remains low at 1.8% (480,000 middle and high school students), but 29.3% of current users report frequent use, and 22.4% use pouches daily, a disturbing trend given the high nicotine levels. Zyn, the most popular brand (chosen by 68.7% of youth pouch users), is aggressively marketed through "Zynfluencers" and youth-appealing rewards programs. These products have exploded in popularity nationwide, with soaring sales and increasing nicotine levels, and should be continuously monitored to protect youth and prevent addiction.

This is particularly concerning given nicotine is harmful to developing brains, and dependence has been shown to negatively impact mental health by amplifying feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress. There is no safe level of use for youth, and the vast majority of these products do not have FDA authorization, making their presence on the market illegal. Truth Initiative research shows that between 2017 and 2022, disposable e-cigarettes nearly tripled in nicotine strength, quintupled in e-liquid capacity, and dropped in price by nearly 70% — all at the expense of young people's physical and mental health.

The rise of nicotine addiction underscores the critical importance of Truth Initiative's market-leading quit programs. This is Quitting^®, our free text-based program now part of the EX^® Program, has enrolled over 780,000 young people nationwide. A recent first-of-its-kind study among teens, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), showed that participants in the interactive program were 35% more likely to report not using nicotine at the 7-month study endpoint. Additionally, our free digital curriculum, Vaping: Know the truth^®, has reached more than one million middle and high school students, providing them with essential facts about e-cigarette use.

The NYTS data further demonstrates the allure of flavors, with 87.6% of youth stating their preference for flavored e-cigarettes. Fruit (62.8%), candy (33.3%), and mint (25.1%) were the flavor types most frequently reported. Disposable products remain the most popular among youth, with Elf Bar (36.1%), Breeze (19.9%), Mr. Fog (15.8%), Vuse (13.7%), and JUUL (12.6%) topping the list. Four out of the top five brands have not received pre-market authorization from the FDA and are on the market illegally. Despite many warning letters from the agency to both retailers and manufacturers, these brands persist in popularity among youth.

While this drop in youth e-cigarette use is an encouraging public health win, we cannot ignore the persistent nicotine dependence among youth. We must continue supporting evidence-based programs to help young people quit, while holding the tobacco industry accountable for relentlessly pursuing a new generation. We also urge retailers to stop selling illegal, youth-appealing flavored nicotine products that continue to flood the market. So far, the FDA has authorized only 34 e-cigarette products, primarily tobacco and menthol flavored. Our work is far from over, but together, we can work toward a future free from nicotine addiction.

About Truth Initiative^®Truth Initiative is a national nonprofit public health organization committed to a future free from lifelong addiction, fostering healthier lives and a more resilient nation. Our mission is to prevent youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empower quitting for all. Through our evidence-based, market-leading cessation EX Program and the nationally recognized truth^® public education campaign, we are leading the fight against youth and young adult tobacco use, which threatens to put a new generation at risk of nicotine addiction. Our rigorous scientific research and policy studies, community and youth engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using tobacco, and innovation in tobacco dependence treatment continue to contribute to ending one of the most critical public health battles of our time. Based in Washington, D.C., our organization was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories, and the tobacco industry. To learn more, visit truthinitiative.org.

SOURCE Truth Initiative