Teen e-cig use drops to lowest in decade amid crackdown on popular brands

New data shows teen use of e-cigarettes is at its lowest level in a decade. The 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey found over 1.6 million middle and high school students are still using e-cigarettes, with 500,000 fewer teens reporting they vape compared to last year.

It’s a notable decrease, and health officials are pointing to a crackdown on popular brands as a key factor.

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The numbers are down from 2.1 million last year, although 7.8% of high school students and 3.5% of middle school students still report vaping. Many of those remaining still frequently use the devices, with 38% of respondents saying they vape regularly and 26% saying they use e-cigarettes daily.

Elf Bar still remains the most popular choice for teens, though users have dropped from 56.7% in 2023 to 36.1% in 2024. Other popular brands include Breeze, Mr. Fog, Vuse and Juul.

The FDA has been targeting Elf Bar since early 2023, issuing over 1,000 warnings letters and 240 fines to retailers selling unauthorized products. The FDA said it has also issued important alerts that include products under the Elf Bar brand, placing them on the “red list,” which allows the agency to detain products without full inspection.

While the numbers reflect a lessening of younger users of these products, Yolonda C. Richardson, CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, warns that the issue is far from resolved.

A news release from the organization says, “the FDA, the Department of Justice and other relevant federal agencies must step up their enforcement efforts to clear the market of all illegal e-cigarettes.”

Richardson further urged state and city administrations to increase efforts to end the sale of these products.