More Kids are Using E-Cigarettes - CDC Releases 2022 Youth Tobacco Survey Data

More than 2.5 million kids are using e-cigarettes, an increase of 500,000 adolescents from 2021, according to the results of the CDC’s 2022 Youth Tobacco Survey, released Thursday, Oct. 6. Data from the survey also show that a large majority of adolescents are using flavored disposable products. More than 14 percent of high school kids and 3.3 percent of middle school children report having used an e-cigarette product within the past 30 days. The report also noted the intensity of use by kids was significant, with 25 percent reporting daily e-cigarette use and 40 percent reported having used e-cigarettes on at least 20 of the last 30 days.

“Ultimately, the latest CDC Youth Tobacco Survey is disappointing because it confirms what we believe to be true,” said ATS President Greg Downey, MD, ATSF. “Today’s youth e-cigarette epidemic is a product of the e-cigarette industry’s continued efforts to prey on our nation’s kids and the FDA’s passive approach to regulating e-cigarette products.

The FDA has the authority to remove flavors from e-cigarette products but has failed to act. Many of the products kids are using have not even applied for FDA review let alone completed the review process, and yet the Agency has failed to take effective action to remove these products from the market."

FDA also announced that it has sent a warning letter to Puffbar – the most popular e-cigarette product among youth – giving the company 15 days to respond to FDA with a plan for removing Puffbar products from the market or face legal action. FDA also issued marketing denial orders for 32 Hyde e-cigarette products, saying the companies products were rejected through FDA pre-market tobacco application process.

CDC notes that the data from 2021 and 2022 may not be comparable because of different survey techniques. Due to COVID-19, the 2021 survey instrument was completed by children at home, while the 2022 returned to the usual practice of administering the survey at school.

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