A new study conducted by the US government on the use of e-cigarettes among youth has shown little progress in keeping teenagers away from vaping. The survey, which was released on Thursday, suggests that more high school students are using e-cigarettes, with 14% of them reporting recent use compared to 11% in the previous year.
However, experts warn that changes in the survey make comparisons difficult: this year, there is a much higher proportion of participants surveyed in schools, and there are often more reports of e-cigarette use in schools than at home. "Assessing trends (in e-cigarette use) since the outbreak of the pandemic remains difficult," said Alyssa Harlow, a researcher at the University of Southern California who studies adolescent e-cigarette use.
Although there are still many young people using e-cigarettes, they don't seem to be as popular as before. In 2019, 28% of high school students reported having recently used e-cigarettes. For educators, e-cigarettes remain a major issue.
Interestingly, the 2021-22 academic year is worse than pre-pandemic times, according to Mike Rinaldi, the principal of Westhill High School in Connecticut. He notes that it is the first year for many students returning from remote learning during the pandemic and speculates that some may have turned to e-cigarettes to cope with pandemic-related mental health issues or stress. Matt Forker, principal of Stamford High School, says that kids vaping in school bathrooms and stairwells remains a "persistent challenge".
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authored a new study based on an online survey conducted from January 18th to May 31st of approximately 28,000 American high school students. The study inquired about the use of electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices in the past 30 days. In addition to 14% of high schoolers reporting recent use of e-cigarettes, around 3% of middle schoolers reported having tried them. Among those who used e-cigarettes, approximately 28% reported daily use. Nearly 85% of young people using e-cigarettes used flavored products, with Puff Bar and Vuse being the most popular brands followed by Hyde and Smok.
After months of pressure from congressional members and parents, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took action against the manufacturers of Puff Bar and Hyde on Thursday. The agency sent a warning letter to Puff Bar manufacturer, EVO Brands, stating that the company had not obtained permission to sell their products in the US and that they were being illegally sold. Only a few e-cigarette companies have received FDA approval, which is only granted to products that are beneficial to the health of adult smokers.
The agency also stated that following the denial of their FDA authorization application, they have instructed Magellan Technology, the manufacturer of Hyde, to withdraw their product from the market.
The FDA has been working to regulate the extensive e-cigarette industry, which includes both established and start-up companies. Regulatory agencies have faced criticism from Congress and anti-e-cigarette advocates as they have missed multiple deadlines and have been unable to make decisions on compliance applications for millions of e-cigarette products submitted by companies.
In the past three years, federal and state laws and regulations have increased the purchasing age for tobacco and e-cigarette products, and have banned almost all small e-cigarette flavors that are popular among teenagers.
Some children may have also been scared away by the outbreak of illnesses and deaths related to e-cigarettes in 2019 - most of whom were associated with additives in black market e-liquids containing THC, a chemical that can produce a marijuana-like high when inhaled.
A leader of an advocacy organization has stated that their efforts to combat youth vaping have not been progressing well. These figures "may not reflect the larger reality of youth e-cigarette use that we hear about every day from parents, teachers, pediatricians, and prevention experts who are dealing with this urgent and ongoing youth public health crisis," said the organization, which is made up of parents opposed to vaping, in a statement.
Earlier this summer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) attempted to ban products from leading e-cigarette manufacturer Juul due to concerns about potential health risks. However, after a court challenge, the effort was forced to be put on hold. In a survey conducted this year, approximately one-fifth of teenage e-cigarette users reported using Juul recently, although it is no longer the most popular brand. This is a significant shift from 2019 when over half of young people's most commonly used e-cigarette was Juul.
On the contrary, many young people have turned to electronic cigarettes that offer laboratory-manufactured nicotine, including Puff Bar, which is a loophole in the FDA supervision that was shut down by Congress this year. Despite obtaining new authorization for these products, the FDA missed the mid-July deadline to make decisions on most products.
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