E-Cigarette Use Among Youth

Overview

• In the United States, youth use e-cigarettes, or vapes, more than any other tobacco product.1
• No tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are safe, especially for children, teens, and young adults.2
• Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. Nicotine can harm the parts of an adolescent's brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.2
• E-cigarette marketing, the availability of flavored products, social influences, and the effects of nicotine can influence youth to start or continue vaping.34
• Most middle and high school students who vape want to quit.5
• Many people have an important role in protecting youth from vaping, including parents and caregivers, educators and school administrators, health care providers, and community partners.
• States and local communities can implement evidence-based policies, programs, and services to reduce youth vaping.

E-cigarette use among U.S. youth

In 2024, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students in the United States:61

• 1.63 million (5.9%) students currently used e-cigarettes. This includes:
  • 410,000 (3.5%) middle school students.
  • 1.21 million (7.8%) high school students.
• Among students who had ever used e-cigarettes, 43.6% reported current use.
• Among students who currently used e-cigarettes:
  • 87.6% used flavored e-cigarettes.
  • 38.4% used an e-cigarette on at least 20 of the last 30 days.
  • 26.3% used an e-cigarette every day.
• Among students who currently used e-cigarettes:
  • 55.6% used disposable e-cigarettes, 15.6% used prefilled or refillable pods or cartridges, and 7.0% used tanks or mod systems.
  • The most commonly reported using the following brands: Elf Bar, Breeze, and Mr. Fog.

Most middle and high school students who vape want to quit and have tried to quit.5 In 2020:

• 63.9% of students who currently used e-cigarettes reported wanting to quit.
• 67.4% of students who currently used e-cigarettes reported trying to quit in the last year.

Most tobacco use, including vaping, starts and is established during adolescence. There are many factors associated with youth tobacco product use. These include:

• Tobacco advertising that targets youth.
• Product accessibility.
• Availability of flavored products.
• Social influences.
• Adolescent brain sensitivity to nicotine.

Some groups of middle and high school students use e-cigarettes at a higher percentage than others. For example, in 2024: 1

• More females than males reported current e-cigarette use.
• Current use of e-cigarettes varied by race and ethnicity.
  • Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native students: 11.5%.
  • Non-Hispanic Black or African American students: 7.0%.
  • Non-Hispanic multiracial students: 6.6%.
  • Hispanic or Latino students: 6.1%.
  • Non-Hispanic White students: 5.9%.
  • Non-Hispanic Asian students: 2.3%.

Many young people who vape also use other tobacco products, including cigarettes and cigars.7 This is called dual use. In 2024:1

• Among U.S. high school students who currently used a tobacco product, more than 1 in 3 (36.6%) used more than one type of product.
• Among U.S. middle school students who currently used a tobacco product, more than 1 in 3 (38.9%) used more than one type of product.

E-cigarettes can also be used to deliver other substances, including cannabis. In 2016, nearly one in three (30.6%) of U.S. middle and high school students who had ever used an e-cigarette reported using marijuana in the device.8