According to a press release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Center for Disease Control, 2.55 million U.S. high school and middle school students reported e-cigarette use in 2022.

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The total 2.55 million students includes 14.1 % of high school students and 3.3% of middle school students with nearly 85% of them using flavored e-cigarettes.

Brian King, director of the FDS's Center for Tobacco Products, said "Adolescent e-cigarette use in the United States remains at concerning levels, and poses a serious public health risk to our nation's youth. Together with the CDC, protection our nation's youth from the dangers of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, remains among the FDA's highest priorities, and we are committed to combatting this issue with the breadth of our regulatory authorities."

According to the CDC, the rate of e-cigarette use among youth is actually down since 2019. 27.5% of high school students reported e-cigarette use in 2019 compared to 14.1% in 2022 and 10.5% of middle school students reported compared to 3.3% in 2022.

While not all e-cigarettes contain tobacco, studies have consistently shown them to be extremely dangerous, particularly for children. According to the press release, nicotine product use during adolescence can harm brain development. And some brands of e-cigarettes contain even more nicotine than a standard pack of cigarettes.

Since 2014, e-cigarettes have been the most used tobacco product among youth in the United States. While the rate of tobacco product use by youth has been decreasing over the last three years, the total number of 2.55 million students is still very high.

Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, stated "This study shows that our nation's youth continue to be enticed and hooked by an expanding variety of e-cigarette brands delivering flavored nicotine. Our work is far from over. It's critical that we work together to prevent youth from starting to use any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, and help all youth who do use them to quit."

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