More than 2 mln U.S. school kids report using e-cigarettes this year - CDC study

By Manojna Maddipatla

Sept 30 (Reuters) - An estimated 2.06 million U.S. middle
and high school students are using electronic-cigarettes with
Juul and Vuse among the most popular products, according to data
from a 2021 survey analyzed by health officials.

The data, published on Thursday in the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report, showed the use of the potentially addictive
nicotine devices may have declined from 3.6 million students in
2020.

However, authors of the study cautioned that estimates based
on this year's survey conducted mostly online cannot be compared
to results from surveys done in previous years collected from
classrooms.

The use of e-cigarettes among children and teens has been a
growing public health concern. Makers of the devices came under
the scrutiny of health regulators for allegedly targeting their
marketing at youth and concerns that a new generation would
become hooked on nicotine.

Manufacturers argue that the products help smokers quit.

Puff Bar, Vuse, SMOK and Juul were among the most popular
e-cigarette brands among current users in high schools, while
Puff Bar and Juul were most popular among middle schoolers,
according to the survey conducted from Jan. 18 to May 21.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this month
delayed its decision https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-fda-ask-more-time-before-deciding-juul-e-cigarettes-2021-09-09/#:~:text=Healthcare%20%26%20Pharmaceuticals-,U.S.%20FDA%20says%20it%20needs%20more%20time,on%20Juul%2C%20other%20e-cigarettes&text=A%20federal%20judge%20set%20a,while%20the%20agency%20reviewed%20applications
on whether Juul and other major manufacturers, including
British American Tobacco Plc's Vuse, can sell their
products in the United States as it decides whether the products
provide a net benefit to public health.

About 85% of youth e-cigarette users overall said they used
flavored products with fruit, candy, desserts, or other sweets
being the most popular, the survey data showed.

Among current middle and high school e-cigarette users, the
most commonly used device type was disposables, followed by
prefilled or refillable pods or cartridges and tanks or mod
systems, the survey showed.

(Reporting by Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill
Berkrot)

British American Tobacco