From January 2020, shortly before the epidemic hit the U.S., until December 2022, e-cigarette sales increased by about 47%, according to a study presented on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Teenagers and young people reported trying e-cigarettes recently in surveys at considerably higher rates than older persons throughout the spike.
According to the C.D.C., approximately 4.5 percent of adults reported using e-cigarettes. However, when the age decreased, the rates increased. According to the C.D.C. data, 14% of senior class students and 11% of young people acknowledged using the gadgets 30 days before the study. Throughout May of last year, sales were still increasing, but from June through December, they decreased by 12 percent.
The emergence of gadgets that provided thousands of “puffs” in a single device, government enforcement, state or local restrictions on flavored items, and other variables were all blamed by researchers for the fall. The New York Times reported that from 15.5 million units in early 2020, the four-week sales of e-cigarettes increased overall to 25.9 million units late last year.
A scientific statement last year by the American Heart Association that e-cigarettes looked to increase the risk of heart and lung disease called for further action to stop teenage vaping. Concerns have also been expressed by the American Lung Association, which stated that it was “very concerned by the growing evidence concerning the effect of electronic cigarettes on the lungs” and mentioned the chemicals used in vapes’ known and unknowable hazardous effects.
The conclusions of the C.D.C. study are constrained because neither internet sales nor sales from vape and cigarette shops were included. Nevertheless, over the past few years, things have changed. Since reaching an all-time high in 2019, when almost 28 percent of high school learners reported vaping within the past 30 days, the use of e-cigarettes by adolescents has decreased.
Juul Labs’ sleek products were among the most popular at the time, and the firm was mainly held responsible for the dramatic increase in teen vaping. Since then, Juul has settled numerous lawsuits filed by numerous states and people, with settlements totaling about $3 billion.
The F.D.A. has stated that it will make final decisions on the remaining requests for selling vaping goods by the end of this year to handle the top sales by Vuse, Juul, and other companies. Tobacco control proponents pressure the F.D.A. to police the law more strictly on illegal e-cigarettes and advance with a planned ban on menthol-flavored cigarettes.
A statewide flavor prohibition akin to those in six additional states, along with more than 300 municipalities, is being implemented in California, and many interested parties are monitoring its impacts. The latest data provided by the C.D.C. Foundation; vape product sales have decreased by 35% since the ban went into force on December 21.
