Nicotine E-Cigarettes: The Most Common Drug Among Teenagers in 2022

According to a nationwide study conducted by the University of Michigan in the United States, nicotine e-cigarettes will be the most commonly used drug among teenagers in 2022.

Among 8th grade students within the last 30 days of 2022, 7% reported using nicotine, with 6% using nicotine in combination with alcohol and 5% using nicotine in combination with marijuana. In the 10th grade, 14% of students reported using nicotine within the last 30 days, while alcohol use was reported at 13.6% and marijuana use at 12%.

Among 12th grade students, the prevalence of nicotine e-cigarette use in the past 30 days is close to 21%, with alcohol use below 28%, but similar to marijuana at 20%.

A group of professors from the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan conduct an annual study called "Monitoring the Future," which assesses the drug use of nationally representative samples of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade teenagers since 1991 and 1975, respectively. The study is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, and evaluates teenagers' use of dozens of drugs.

Richard Miech, chief researcher and professor of social research at the institute, stated that many people are unaware of how common nicotine e-cigarettes are among teenagers. Usage has rapidly increased in both 2018 and 2019 and has persisted since then. The epidemic of teenage e-cigarette use is becoming a local health crisis.

Miech stated that nicotine is highly addictive, and introducing it to the brain during puberty can impact development and prepare for future drug use. While electronic cigarettes may potentially assist adults in quitting smoking, exposing young brains to nicotine can lead to a lasting physical addiction. Furthermore, emerging evidence suggests that electronic cigarettes may carry their own health risks, such as damage to blood vessels.