Sadly, widespread misinformation about teen vaping trends has been shaping public opinion, distorting policy debates, and misrepresenting the true scope of youth vaping. Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine Dr. Michael Siegel recently wrote an article about Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes (PAVE), a group which has come under scrutiny for spreading false information regarding the prevalence of vaping among youth.
The organization has claimed that “over 1 in 4 youth use e-cigarettes daily,” a figure grossly exaggerated compared to the 1.6% reported in the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), inflating the actual rate by a factor of 16. And on taking a closer look, Siegel found that actually PAVE has repeated this inaccurate claim since the begining of 2024, while attributing it to data from both the 2023 and 2024 NYTS.
At this point, these innacurate figures have of course extended their reach beyond the PAVE’s website, and fueled misconceptions about youth vaping prevalence. Public health agencies, schools, and local governments have inadvertently perpetuated the flawed statistic, in a clear example of how misinformation can quickly disseminate and be accepted as truth.
Breaking Down the Numbers
Dr. Rodu highlighted that out of the 15.8 million high schoolers surveyed in 2023, about 9.9% (1.56 million) reported vaping in the past 30 days. However, when subtracting 204,000 who also smoked cigarettes, the number of exclusive vapers drops to 1.36 million.
Further adjustments for 397,000 who had “ever” smoked a cigarette and 192,600 who had “ever” smoked a cigar reduce the count to 770,600. Additionally, 535,500 vapers had also vaped THC or CBD products, leaving an estimated 235,021 “virgin” vapers—students with no other tobacco or marijuana use history. This group represents only 1.5% of all high schoolers.
Among these virgin vapers, most (63%), vaped on 1-9 days in the past month, while 6% vaped 10-19 days. Only 31% vaped on 20-30 days, equating to 73,092 frequent vapers. These frequent users account for just 4.7% of all high school vapers and a mere 0.5% of total high school students.
Contextualizing the Issue
While all stakeholders are in agreement that high school vaping is a valid concern, the data reveal that it is neither a standalone epidemic nor a crisis ensnaring an entire generation into a nicotine addiction, as is generally portrayed. Vaping among teens is actually closely linked to traditional smoking and THC/CBD use. In fact, a number of studies have revealed that young vapers tend to be the type of teens with a tendency to experiment with different substances, and in the absence of vapes they would just be smoking.
Dr. Rodu highlighted that the government’s focus on a perceived “teen vaping epidemic” often overshadows broader public health priorities, such as addressing the 480,000 annual deaths from adult tobacco smoking. Recognizing the interconnected nature of teen vaping and other substance use is essential for balanced and effective policy-making. “The FDA refuses to recognize that teen vapers also smoke and toke. When the government obsesses over an imaginary “teen vaping epidemic” and denies its actual modest scope, it ignores the 480,000 adult tobacco smokers who die each year.”
On discussing the topic further with the THR expert, he told Vaping Post that on comparing the prevalence of teen vaping with other far more dangerous and prevalent behaviours, such as texting and drinking, driving without seat belts.. the list goes on, why health authorities remain so focused on vaping is beyond comprehension. “It is incomprehensible that public health authorities and NGOs in the U.S. continue to obsess over teen vaping, which has no significant short or long term adverse health effects. The only exception is possible addiction to nicotine; although similar in scope to caffeine, no one talks teens’ overdose or addiction to that drug.”
To help us put this argument into perspective, Professor Rodu shared a chart with data extracted from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) indicating that at a rate of 17% of high school students, teen vaping is far less worrying than texting while driving, at 42%, or not wearing a seat belt, at 40%. “Where is the outrage about acutely risky actions such as texting and drinking and driving without seat belts, unsafe sexual activity, bullying and fighting, and suicidal thoughts?,” he added.
Spreading fear via inflated data fails everyone
Accurate data is essential in addressing teen vaping effectively. Public health groups must prioritize transparency and rely on evidence-based information to guide their efforts. Does Professor Rodu sound optimistic this will happen? Sadly not. Meanwhile, exaggerating teen vaping rates undermines trust, misinforms policy, and diverts resources from genuine health priorities. Innacurate information not only skews public perception but also lead to strategies which ultimately fail to protect not just the targeted audience – in this case youth, but also the general population. By grounding their actions in verified data instead, public health organizations could foster meaningful change, save lives, and uphold their commitment to public well-being.
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