E-cigarette use among teens up from last year

Studies now show that 9.4 percent of teens in the country are currently using e-cigarette products. That data comes from arecent study from The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, who says that translates to over 2.5 million middle and high school students. The CDC found that over 14 percent of high school students and 3 percent of middle school students were current users when it conducted its annual National Youth and Tobacco Survey. 

Dr. Linda Ness is the chief epidemiologist with the office of smoking and health at the CDC. She says that the survey also gave them insight into what types of devices young people are using when they vape.

“Over 55% used a disposable device,” she says. “and then that was followed by refillable pods or cartridges, and then tanks.”

The study recorded the brands that teens use, naming Puff Bar as the most popular, and revealed a high frequency of use among teens that currently vape. One in four students surveyed reported using their e-cigarettes daily. 

According to the data, 85% of users said their products were flavored. Ness believes the flavors of these products are what entice young people to use them so often.

 “This is an indication that the flavors are attracting them to use e-cigarettes,” she says.

Compared to last year's data, usage among high school students has increased by nearly 3 percentage points. The full report can be found here.