Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
US Teen Vaping Numbers Climb, Fueled by Juul & Mint Flavor
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
November 5, 2019

Share

New research shows U.S. teens who use electronic cigarettes prefer those made by Juul Labs, and mint is the favorite flavor for many of them, suggesting a shift after the company stopped selling fruit and dessert flavors in stores.
The results are in a pair of studies published Tuesday, including one that details previously released figures indicating that the surge in underage use of e-cigarettes shows no signs of slowing down.
An estimated 28% of high school students and 11% of middle school students said they’d used e-cigarettes within the past month, according to the report, based on a national survey conducted earlier this year. That amounts to 5.3 million young users, compared with about 3.6 million last year, despite federal law that prohibits sales to those under 18.
The government report, surveying almost 20,000 young people, also found that Juul is the preferred brand for 60% of high school e-cigarette users. Most of them used flavored e-cigarettes and among those who did, nearly 60% favored mint or menthol.
A separate study, led by University of Southern California researchers, suggests menthol doesn’t have the same appeal as mint. The study found that mint was the most popular flavor among Juul users in 10th and 12th grades and the second-most popular among middle-schoolers. In contrast, less than 6% of teenagers across all grades preferred menthol. The study was based on a different national survey that included 1,800 Juul users.

E-Cigarettes Typically Heat a Solution That Contains Nicotine

The results are worrisome but not surprising, said Thomas Ylioja, a smoking cessation expert at National Jewish Health hospital in Denver.

“We have a whole generation of young people who are addicted to these products. Rather than giving up when they can’t get their particular flavor, they’re switching to a flavor that is more available.” — Thomas Ylioja, a smoking cessation expert at National Jewish Health hospital in Denver
“We have a whole generation of young people who are addicted to these products,” said Ylioja, who was not involved in the studies. “Rather than giving up when they can’t get their particular flavor, they’re switching to a flavor that is more available.”
E-cigarettes typically heat a solution that contains nicotine, which makes cigarettes and e-cigarettes addictive. They have been sold in the U.S. for more than a decade and are often pitched as a lower-risk nicotine source for adult smokers.
Both studies were published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Erika Sward, spokeswoman for the American Lung Association, said the findings “call for drastic action to be taken. We are in the midst of an e-cigarette crisis, the aftermath of which we could be dealing with for decades.”
A few states have taken steps to prohibit flavored e-cigarettes, and in September, the Trump administration proposed a nationwide ban, including mint and menthol. An announcement is expected soon from the Food and Drug Administration.
Photo of Juul vape pen
FILE – This April 16, 2019, file photo, shows a Juul vape pen in Vancouver, Wash. New research released on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, shows U.S. teens who use electronic cigarettes prefer those made by Juul Labs, and mint is the favorite flavor for many of them, suggesting a shift after the company stopped selling fruit and dessert flavors in stores. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer, File)

Flavors Are Banned for Traditional Cigarettes in the U.S.

But health groups and anti-vaping advocates worry that regulators may be backing away from their original proposal.

Facing multiple state and federal investigations, Juul has pledged to not lobby against the federal flavor ban. The Vapor Technology Association, which represents the industry, however, is pushing back against a ban with a marketing campaign.
“Exemptions for mint and menthol are problematic if we’re really thinking about preventing kids from using these products,” said USC study co-author Jessica Barrington-Trimis.
Flavors are banned for traditional cigarettes in the U.S., except for menthol.
The San Francisco-based Juul, the best-selling vaping brand in the country, stopped selling some flavors last year in stores and only sold them online. Last month, the company voluntarily halted all sales of its fruit and dessert flavored e-cigarette pods, leaving only mint, menthol and tobacco-flavored products on the market.
Facing multiple state and federal investigations, Juul has pledged to not lobby against the federal flavor ban. The Vapor Technology Association, which represents the industry, however, is pushing back against a ban with a marketing campaign.
Juul representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new research.

DON'T MISS

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

DON'T MISS

California Just Blew Its First Deadline for Voter-Approved Healthcare Measure

DON'T MISS

Trump Administration Halts Dozens of Research Grants at Princeton University

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Sheriff’s Pilot Takes His Last Flight as He Retires After 31 Years of Service

DON'T MISS

A Palestinian From the West Bank Is First Detainee Under 18 to Die in Israeli Prison, Officials Say

DON'T MISS

How Safe Is It to Walk to School? Fresno County Wants to Find Out

DON'T MISS

Baseball Is Back! How to Listen to Your MLB Favorites and the Grizzlies

DON'T MISS

Trump Says He’s Settled on a Tariff Plan That Is Set to Take Effect Wednesday

DON'T MISS

Auto Sales Surged in Anticipation of Trump’s Tariffs

DON'T MISS

Raid Or Rumor? Reports Of Immigrations Sweeps Are Warping Life In CA’s Central Valley

UP NEXT

Lakers Hold Off Rockets With 6 3-Pointers Apiece From Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent

UP NEXT

Athletics Bat Boy Stewart Thalblum Takes Down Drone in Left Field

UP NEXT

NFL Postpones Tush Push Decision but Passes Other Rule Changes, AP Source Says

UP NEXT

March Madness: It’s South Carolina vs. Texas and UCLA vs. UConn in Women’s Final Four

UP NEXT

Major Layoffs Begin at Health Agencies That Track Disease and Regulate Food

UP NEXT

U.S. Bank Executive Terry Dolan Dies in Plane Crash Near Minneapolis

UP NEXT

Top Vaccine Official Resigns From FDA, Criticizes RFK Jr. for Promoting Misinformation, Lies

UP NEXT

Utah Becomes the First State to Ban Fluoride in Public Drinking Water

UP NEXT

Wilmer Flores’ 3-Run Homer in the 9th Inning Propels Giants to Victory Over Reds

UP NEXT

Democrats’ Popularity Plummets, yet Midterm Prospects Remain Strong

Fresno County Sheriff’s Pilot Takes His Last Flight as He Retires After 31 Years of Service

3 hours ago

A Palestinian From the West Bank Is First Detainee Under 18 to Die in Israeli Prison, Officials Say

4 hours ago

How Safe Is It to Walk to School? Fresno County Wants to Find Out

4 hours ago

Baseball Is Back! How to Listen to Your MLB Favorites and the Grizzlies

5 hours ago

Trump Says He’s Settled on a Tariff Plan That Is Set to Take Effect Wednesday

5 hours ago

Auto Sales Surged in Anticipation of Trump’s Tariffs

5 hours ago

Raid Or Rumor? Reports Of Immigrations Sweeps Are Warping Life In CA’s Central Valley

6 hours ago

House Speaker Johnson Fails to Squash a Proxy Voting Effort From New Moms in Congress

6 hours ago

UN Agency Closes Its Remaining Gaza Bakeries as Food Supplies Dwindle Under Israeli Blockade

6 hours ago

Hooters Goes Bust and Files for Bankruptcy Protection

6 hours ago

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

Elon Musk has reclaimed his position as the world’s wealthiest individual, according to Forbes’ 39th annual World’s Billio...

41 minutes ago

41 minutes ago

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

3 hours ago

California Just Blew Its First Deadline for Voter-Approved Healthcare Measure

Nassau Hall at Princeton University is in Princeton, N.J., Oct. 8, 2024. (AP File)
3 hours ago

Trump Administration Halts Dozens of Research Grants at Princeton University

After 31 years of service, Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy IV and Pilot Michael Sill is retiring, having logged over 10,000 flight hours.
3 hours ago

Fresno County Sheriff’s Pilot Takes His Last Flight as He Retires After 31 Years of Service

Khalid Ahmad holds a poster of his 17-year-old son, Waleed, who died in an Israeli prison, that reads in Arabic, "The hero prisoner Martyr, mercy and eternity for our righteous Martyrs," in the West Bank town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP/Nasser Nasser)
4 hours ago

A Palestinian From the West Bank Is First Detainee Under 18 to Die in Israeli Prison, Officials Say

4 hours ago

How Safe Is It to Walk to School? Fresno County Wants to Find Out

5 hours ago

Baseball Is Back! How to Listen to Your MLB Favorites and the Grizzlies

Vehicles at an Audi showroom in Miami, March 29, 2025. President Donald Trump has said that tariffs would encourage auto companies and their suppliers to move to the U.S. (Saul Martinez/The New York Times)
5 hours ago

Trump Says He’s Settled on a Tariff Plan That Is Set to Take Effect Wednesday

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend