The Prevalence and Consequences of Vaping Among Teens and Adolescents

By: Evan Robinson

Vaping among teenagers and adolescents have been increasing since more products began to emerge around 2011. It has become a crisis among teenagers and adolescents due to persistent marketing strategies from tobacco companies. The marketing propaganda also targets youth by producing colorful vapes and different flavors. Another contributing factor is the evolution of our technology, implementation of these specific features can increase the usage of e-cigarettes among teens and adolescents.

According to the FDA, usage of e-cigarettes has dropped in 2024 compared to 2023. The data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), findings showed there was a significant drop in e-cigarette usage among U.S. middle and high school students. Youth who were a part of the study had reported a decrease in usage in the past 30 days. Rates had dropped from 2.13 million (7.7%) in 2023, to 1.63 million (5.9%) in 2024. With numbers continuing to drop and remain relatively low, the concern still circles back to tobacco and nicotine products attempting to appeal to the youth.

In 2024, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among teen and adolescent students in the United States. According to the CDC, most tobacco use starts and is established during adolescence, due to factors such as product accessibility, flavored products, social influences, and advertising can contribute to the steady rates of vape usage.

The effects of vaping mainly stem from excessive nicotine usage and aerosol vapor, which contain potentially harmful substances such as nickel, tin, and lead (CDC, 2025). Providing vape-free environments can reduce the usage of vaping, as well as a limit on advertisements that promote nicotine and tobacco usage. Promoting healthy behaviors such as physical activities, adopting stress relief techniques, or incorporating a new diet. Alleviating suggestive advertisements or influences can also assist with e-cigarette cessation. As a community, it is imperative that we stress the consequences of consistent vaping among our children. In the face of social media and advertisement influenced, it is a constant battle attempting to keep our younger generations away from vaping.

References

Office. (2024). Youth E-Cigarette Use Drops to Lowest Level in a Decade. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/youth-e-cigarette-use-drops-lowest-level-decade

‌CDC. (2025, January 31). Health Effects of Vaping. Smoking and Tobacco Use; CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/health-effects.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, October 17). E-Cigarette use among youth. Smoking and Tobacco Use; CDC.

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/youth.html

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