E-cigarette use among youth in the United States remains a top health concern. E-cigarettes entered the U.S. marketplace around 2007, and since 2014, they have been the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. youth (CDC, 2018). The 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that about one in ten or 2.5 million U.S. middle and high school students reported current e-cigarette use. Almost half of high schoolers who use e-cigarettes (or “vape”) do so on a near-daily basis. Near-daily usage puts individuals at risk for a potential lifetime of nicotine dependence and tobacco use disorders and at an increased risk for developing other substance use disorders (FDA, 2022).
E-cigarette use among youth presents a variety of dangers. Risks of nicotine exposure during adolescence can harm brain development and lead to addiction. The health risks of vaping among youth and young adults include respiratory ailments; negative impacts on attention, learning, and memory; and exposure to toxic ingredients contained in vaping products. The long-term effects related to exposure to vaping products remain unknown (SAMHSA, 2020).
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