I recently came across some eye-opening statistics on e-cigarette use, and I couldn’t help but be concerned about the growing trend among young people. It turns out that the age group that vapes the most is actually adults aged 18 to 24. In fact, in 2021, 11% of people in this age group were current e-cigarette users, which is the highest percentage compared to other age groups. What stood out to me was that e-cigarette use is significantly more common among younger adults than older generations.
Interestingly, even though e-cigarette use is generally lower among older adults, dual use (using both e-cigarettes and cigarettes) is still prevalent among 18–24-year-olds and those aged 25–44. These findings really made me think about the influence of social media, marketing, and peer pressure, especially for the younger crowd.
It’s also worth noting that e-cigarettes are becoming more popular among high school and middle school students. Despite this alarming rise, most of these young users want to quit, showing that they recognize the negative impact vaping has on their health.
It makes me wonder—what can we do as a society to address this issue and prevent more young people from picking up vaping? I’d love to hear what others think.