CDC Data Exposes False Youth Vaping Epidemic; Lowest Level in a Decade

Newly Released Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey delivered another exceptional exoneration for tobacco harm reduction advocates, as current (past-30 days) youth e-cigarette use drops to the lowest level in a decade, a 23% decrease in just one year. Daily use of e-cigarettes by middle and high school students is as low as 1.55%. 

E-Cigarettes are proven to be 95% safer than combustible tobacco and are used by over 20 million adult Americans to either quit or reduce their smoking. All efforts should be made to keep reducing youth e-cigarette usage. However, the data clearly shows education and enforcement are already having a significant effect as fewer than 2% of students vape on a daily basis. To punish adult Americans through taxing and restricting access to a life-saving product endorsed by over 100 of the world’s leading medical organizations, for a non-existent “youth epidemic” as President Biden’s FDA is attempting to do, is profoundly immoral, and will lead to countless preventable deaths.

As the media promotes the false narrative of a youth smoking epidemic, the data proves the exact opposite case. This is a public health win with a decrease in tens of millions of youth e-cigarette users just in the last year and no increase in youth nicotine pouch usage.

However, in January of this year, Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for the FTC and FDA to investigate the lifesaving product Zyn. His concerns relate to marketing and health effects, seeing the product as dangerous for teens. Yet, in 2024 only 1.2% of middle and high school students use Zyns. Not only would this potential ban be for an over-inflated issue, but it would also crack down on a lifesaving product helping smokers live healthier lives.