The statistics on school-age children and vaping
With fun and tasty flavors like mint and mango, it’s no wonder JUUL e-cigarettes appeal to young people. From elementary schoolers to high schoolers, children and teens are jumping on the vaping bandwagon at an alarming rate. Here are some important statistics on school-age children and vaping.
A boost in popularity
According to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual National Youth Tobacco Survey, the number of high schoolers reporting e-cigarette usage over the past 30 days jumped from just 1.5% in 2011 to 27.5% in 2019.
In 2018, 4.9% of middle schoolers stated they had used vaping devices in the past 30 days – up from just 0.6% in 2011.
Boys vs. girls
In both middle schools and high schools, boys are using e-cigarettes more than girls – but barely. The CDC numbers reveal that 22.6% of high school boys reported vaping in the past 30 days, compared to 18.8% of girls.
A similar trend was seen in middle schools, with 5.1% of boys reporting e-cigarette use, compared to 4.8% of girls.
Vaping in schools
A 2018 Truth Initiative survey found that 18% of students between the ages of 12 and 17 reported having seen JUUL products used in their schools.
Although statistics are lacking on vaping use among elementary schoolers, media articles have reported that it is indeed happening.
Most teens think vaping is harmless
Alarmingly, the majority of teens surveyed by the National Institute of Drug Abuse didn’t know what their e-cigarettes contained. The vast majority of teens polled thought their vaping devices contained only flavoring – when in reality they contain a substantial amount of nicotine.
Here’s a breakdown of that survey:
- 66% of teens thought their vaping devices contained only flavoring
- 7% said they weren’t sure what they contained
- 2% correctly stated that e-cigarettes contain nicotine
- 8% thought vaping devices contained marijuana
- 3% answered “other” when asked what their e-cigarettes contained
That same survey found that 30.7% of teenage e-cigarette users were likely to begin smoking traditional cigarettes within six months, compared to just 8.1% of non-users.
Flavors make it fun
The exciting flavors marketed by JUUL make the company’s vaping devices highly appealing to young people, according to data from the 2016-2017 wave of the FDA’s Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study.
That study found that 96.1% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 who had initiated e-cigarette use since the last survey wave started with a flavored product.
In addition, a whopping 97% of youth e-cigarette users had used a flavored e-cigarette in the past month. A total of 70.3% said they choose to use e-cigarettes “because they come in flavors I like.”
Youth exposure to e-cigarette advertising
As JUUL continues to face accusations that it intentionally targets minors with its “cool” advertising campaigns, one fact remains indisputable: children and teens are seeing advertisements in a number of forms.
According to 2016 statistics from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, e-cigarette ads reached nearly 4 in 5 US middle and high school students that year, totaling more than 20 million young people.
Children and teens saw more ads in retail stores than anywhere else, with 68% of youth exposed to such ads. Internet ads placed second (40.6%), followed by television (37.7%) and newspapers and magazines (23.9%).
The facts about JUUL
As of June 2018, JUUL holds 68 percent of the e-cigarette market share measured by Nielsen.
In 2017, a survey by the Truth Initiative Schroeder Institute found that 6% of youth and 10% of young adults had used a JUUL e-cigarette in the last 30 days.
Twenty-five percent of survey respondents aged 15 to 24 recognized a JUUL vaping device when shown a photo of the product. Of those respondents, one-quarter reported that use of those products is known as “JUULing,” indicating that it is so distinctive that it has become its own category.
The truth might be worse than statistics show
The validity of youth surveys related to vaping rely on the honesty and understanding of the children and teens polled. This could be a problem, according to a Truth Initiative survey which found that 25% of JUUL users aged 15 to 24 don’t identify their behavior as “vaping,” but rather as “JUULing.” The organization referred to the situation as a “likely understatement of nicotine consumption via a vaping device.”
Do you have a case against JUUL?
If your child has become addicted to JUUL e-cigarettes, you may be able to pursue legal action against the company.
The attorneys at McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates are interested in hearing more about your situation and can help determine if you have a claim. Contact us today at 888-353-5513 for a free case evaluation.
Vaping and JUUL related web pages on our site: