Notes from the Field: E-cigarette Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2022

October 7, 2022 / Vol. 71 / No. 40

Print
Related Pages
Full Text

Due to changes in methodology, including differences in survey administration and data collection procedures in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to compare estimates from 2022 with those from prior NYTS waves is limited; differences between estimates might be due to changes in methodology, actual behavior, or both. In 2019 and 2020, the NYTS was conducted in schools using an electronic tablet. Because of COVID-19 concerns, the 2021 NYTS was conducted using web-based data collection, with approximately half (50.8%) of students completing it in school. The 2022 NYTS also was conducted using web-based data collection; however, nearly all (99.3%) students completed the survey in school.

MMWR Introduction

CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analyzed data from the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey to assess e-cigarette use behaviors among U.S. middle and high school students. The study assessed current e-cigarette use overall and by frequency of use, device type, flavors, and brands used.

Youth use of tobacco products—in any form, including e-cigarettes—is unsafe. Such products contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can harm the developing adolescent brain. Sustained implementation of comprehensive tobacco prevention and control strategies at the national, state, and local levels, coupled with FDA regulation and enforcement, is critical to addressing youth e-cigarette use.

MMWR Highlights

Self-reported current (past 30-day) e-cigarette use, 2022

  • Overall: An estimated* 2.55 million (9.4%).
    • Middle school: An estimated* 380,000, (3.3%).
    • High school: An estimated* 2.14 million (14.1%).

Among middle and high school students who currently use e-cigarettes, 2022

  • Frequency of e-cigarette use, past 30 days, 2022
    • 20–30 days, 42.3%.
    • 1-5 days, 40.6%.
    • 6-19 days, 17.1%.
  • Daily e-cigarette used, past 30 days 2022
  • All 30 days, 27.6%.
  • E-cigarette device type use, 2022
  • Disposables, 55.3%.
  • Prefilled or refillable pods or cartridges, 25.2%.
  • Don’t know, 12.8%.
  • Tanks or mod systems, 6.7%.
  • Any brand used, 2022
  • Puff Bar, 29.7%.
  • Vuse, 23.6%.
  • JUUL, 22.0%.
  • SMOK (including NOVO), 13.5%.
  • NJOY, 8.3%.
  • Hyde, 7.3%.
  • Blu, 6.5%.
  • STIG, 5.0%.
  • Suorin, 4.8%.
  • Logic, 4.3%.
  • Mojo, 4.0%.
  • Leap, 3.7%.
  • Eonsmoke, 3.6%.
  • Some other brand not listed, 32.2%.
  • Not sure/Don’t know the brand, 28.3%.
  • Flavored e-cigarette used, 2022
  • Yes, 84.9%.
  • No, 9.3%.
  • Don’t know, 5.7%.
  • Flavor types used,† 2022
  • Fruit, 1%.
  • Candy, desserts, or other sweets, 3 %.
  • Mint, 29.4%.
  • Menthol, 26.6%.
  • Alcoholic drink, 7.6%.
  • Chocolate, 3%.
  • Clove or spice, 2.9%.
  • Some other flavor not listed, 11.7%.

*Estimated total number of users was extrapolated from probability weights, rounded down to the nearest 10,000 people. Overall population totals might not directly sum to corresponding estimates by school level because of rounding or inclusion of students who did not self-report grade level.

†Responses were from students who used flavored e-cigarettes. Respondents could select from one more flavor types. Flavor types were not mutually exclusive.

§ Hyde was not included in the list of prespecified response options, but it was the most commonly provided write-in response for “some other brand.” Write-in responses for Hyde were recoded, and all remaining responses were maintained as “some other brand.”

Full Text