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According to one, e-cigarette sales increased by about 47 percent from January 2020 to December 2022, just before the outbreak of the pandemic in the United States. analysis continues on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The increase in that period came as teens and young adults reported in surveys that they had recently tried e-cigarettes at a much higher rate than older adults.
According to the CDC, about 4.5 percent of all adults said they use e-cigarettes. But as age decreased, the rates went up. CDC data shows that nearly 14 percent of high school students and 11 percent of young adults reported using devices within the last 30 days of the survey.
Sales were still rising until May last year, but then dropped 12 percent by December. The researchers attributed the decline to several possible factors, including state or local restrictions on flavored products; government enforcement; and the introduction of devices that offered thousands of “puffs” in a single device.
Overall, four-week sales of e-cigarettes rose to 25.9 million units at the end of last year, up from 15.5 million units at the beginning of 2020.
Why this matters: The effects of vaping are still unknown
The Food and Drug Administration has embraced the use of e-cigarettes, regulating their sale on the market as a way to help adult smokers switch to a less harmful product.
But tobacco opponents and public health experts warn that the popular devices have attracted teenagers and young people — who are unlikely to smoke traditional cigarettes — to an addictive habit amid growing concerns about vaping nicotine.
The CDC’s analysis corroborates data showing that fruit and candy flavors have grown in popularity. Vaping devices often contain high levels of nicotine and are sold in attractive colors and flavors such as Strawberry Ice Cream and Mango Ice.
The American Heart Association has called for more action to reduce youth vaping and has issued a scientific statement Last year it was said that e-cigarettes increase the risk of heart and lung disease. The American Lung Association has also expressed concernadding that it was “deeply troubled by the emerging evidence regarding the effects of e-cigarettes on the lungs” and cited the known and unknown toxic effects of the chemicals used in vapes.
Background: youth vaping was on the rise
The CDC study didn’t include sales from vaping and tobacco shops or Internet sales, so findings are limited.
Nevertheless, trends have changed over the years. E-cigarette vaping among minors has declined from a record high in 2019, when nearly 28 percent of high school students reported vaping within the past 30 days. At the time, the Smooth and Smooth products manufactured by Juul Labs were the most popular, and the company was largely blamed for the rising rate of vaping among teenagers. Juul has since resolved numerous lawsuits brought by multiple states and individuals, resulting in a settlement of approximately $3 billion.
The FDA has rejected applications to market millions of products, approving only two dozen tobacco-flavored vaping devices. Yet the agency has struggled with enforcement; Flavored vapes have flooded gas stations, convenience stores and vape shops across the country.
The agency won a court victory in recent weeks against the makers of Hyde vapes, which were ranked as a favorite among high school students in a recent youth tobacco survey. The latest report from the CDC shows that the popularity of Elf Bar vapes is on the rise. The FDA has issued an import alert to seize them at the border and on Thursday declared enforcement Against about 200 retailers selling those vapes and esco bar products.
What’s next: Regulation and enforcement
The FDA has said it will issue a final decision by the end of this year on the remaining applications to sell vaping products to address top sellers from Vuse, Juul and others.
Tobacco control advocates are pressing the FDA to increase enforcement of unauthorized e-cigarettes and move forward with a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes.
Many interested parties are also looking into the effects of a statewide flavor ban in California — similar to six other states and more than 300 jurisdictions. From December 21, when the ban took effect, to the end of March, sales of vape products declined by 35 percent, according to data from CDC Foundation.
