Talking to Youth and Young Adults to Prevent E-cigarette Use

"As students go back to school, parents, teachers, administrators, and coaches can help them make smart choices for their health, including avoiding e-cigarettes.

About 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2020. Now is an important time to help students understand the serious health risks of e-cigarette use.

Why It Matters

Any tobacco use by youth and young adults, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe.

Nearly all e-cigarette products sold contain nicotine, which is the same addictive drug found in other tobacco products, including cigarettes and cigars. The nicotine content information on e-cigarette packaging is often misleading or inaccurate.

Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the mid-20s. Compared with older adults, the brains of youth and young adults are more vulnerable to nicotine’s harmful health effects. These include nicotine addiction and potentially reduced impulse control, mood disorders, and poor attention and thinking skills.

Many youth and young adults who use e-cigarettes also smoke regular cigarettes or use other tobacco products. Young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke regular cigarettes later in life. E-cigarette use can also increase the risk for future addiction to other drugs.
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Youth E-cigarette Use

Parents, teachers, counselors, and coaches should know that in 2020:

• About 3.6 million US youth reported current e-cigarette use.
• E-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among US middle and high school students.
• 1 in 5 high school students and nearly 1 in 10 middle school students who used e-cigarettes reported using them every day..."
  Youth and E-cigarette use