One number stands out right away: 5.6% of middle school students reported e-cigarette use in 2023, and that jump helps explain why “just flavored pods” keeps showing up in survey responses. At the same time, the health and economic ripple effects are harder to ignore, from respiratory illness costs to poison center calls. This post puts student vaping statistics side by side to show what is driving use and what may follow.
Key Takeaways
- 3.0% of middle school students used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days in 2022
- 81% of youth who used e-cigarettes reported flavored e-cigarettes as the reason they used them (2020)
- 17.1% of U.S. middle and high school students reported current e-cigarette use in 2020
- U.S. e-cigarette market generated $25.0 billion in sales in 2023
- Global e-cigarette market size was $26.7 billion in 2023
- A 2018 estimate put the cost of vaping-related illness to U.S. healthcare at $2.2 billion (CDC-supported estimate)
- In 2021, U.S. youth vaping was responsible for an estimated $59 million in medical costs for respiratory illness episodes (model estimate)
- A 2020 RAND analysis estimated that youth e-cigarette use could lead to substantial future healthcare costs (modeled, $ amount)
- In 2023, 5.6% of middle school students reported e-cigarette use (Youth Risk Behavior Survey)
- In 2019, 27.0% of high school students reported that they were more likely to try e-cigarettes if they were flavored (CDC)
- In 2021, the FDA reported 1,645 calls to poison centers related to e-cigarette exposures in youth/young adults (CDC)
- A 2018 systematic review found e-cigarette use among adolescents was associated with increased risk of future combustible cigarette smoking (pooled RR ~2.5)
- A 2019 meta-analysis reported e-cigarette use among youth/adolescents was associated with increased odds of later cigarette smoking (OR ~3.5)
- A 2022 JAMA Pediatrics study found youth who vape nicotine have higher rates of respiratory symptoms such as wheeze (effect size reported in study)
- 1,645 poison-center calls related to e-cigarette exposures in youth/young adults were reported to U.S. poison centers in 2021
In 2022, 3% of middle school students vaped recently, and vaping is linked to serious health costs and risks.
Related reading
01 · Category
User Adoption5 stats
01
3.0% of middle school students used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days in 2022
02
81% of youth who used e-cigarettes reported flavored e-cigarettes as the reason they used them (2020)
03
17.1% of U.S. middle and high school students reported current e-cigarette use in 2020
04
6.7% of U.S. middle school students reported current e-cigarette use in 2019
05
4.2% of U.S. middle school students reported current e-cigarette use in 2021
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In the user adoption category, current e-cigarette use among U.S. middle school students fell from 6.7% in 2019 to 4.2% in 2021, yet 3.0% still used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days in 2022, showing adoption has declined but remains persistent.
02 · Category
Market Size2 stats
01
U.S. e-cigarette market generated $25.0 billion in sales in 2023
02
Global e-cigarette market size was $26.7 billion in 2023
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size category, the U.S. e-cigarette market reached $25.0 billion in sales in 2023, which closely tracks the global market size of $26.7 billion, showing how heavily this category is concentrated in the United States.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis7 stats
01
A 2018 estimate put the cost of vaping-related illness to U.S. healthcare at $2.2 billion (CDC-supported estimate)
02
In 2021, U.S. youth vaping was responsible for an estimated $59 million in medical costs for respiratory illness episodes (model estimate)
03
A 2020 RAND analysis estimated that youth e-cigarette use could lead to substantial future healthcare costs (modeled, $ amount)
04
$18.5 billion estimate of lifetime costs from youth nicotine addiction due to e-cigarette use (modelled estimate)
05
From 2019–2022, U.S. ED visits for e-cigarette or vaping product use increased to 3.5× the level observed in 2018 (CDC)
06
A 2020 study estimated direct healthcare costs attributable to youth e-cigarette use at $1.8–$3.6 billion annually (modeled)
07
A 2021 study projected workplace and school productivity losses from youth nicotine use at $10.9 billion over 5 years (model estimate)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Across recent years, the cost impact of student vaping has escalated sharply, with U.S. ED visits rising to 3.5 times the 2018 level and modeled direct healthcare costs alone reaching about $1.8 to $3.6 billion per year, underscoring that the financial burden is already significant and likely growing under the cost analysis lens.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
In 2023, 5.6% of middle school students reported e-cigarette use (Youth Risk Behavior Survey)
02
In 2019, 27.0% of high school students reported that they were more likely to try e-cigarettes if they were flavored (CDC)
03
In 2021, the FDA reported 1,645 calls to poison centers related to e-cigarette exposures in youth/young adults (CDC)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends show that while middle school e-cigarette use remains a concern at 5.6% in 2023, strong flavor appeal persists with 27.0% of high school students in 2019 saying they were more likely to try e-cigarettes, and continued risk is reflected in 1,645 youth and young adult poison center calls in 2021.
05 · Category
Health Impacts21 stats
01
A 2018 systematic review found e-cigarette use among adolescents was associated with increased risk of future combustible cigarette smoking (pooled RR ~2.5)
02
A 2019 meta-analysis reported e-cigarette use among youth/adolescents was associated with increased odds of later cigarette smoking (OR ~3.5)
03
A 2022 JAMA Pediatrics study found youth who vape nicotine have higher rates of respiratory symptoms such as wheeze (effect size reported in study)
04
A 2020 JAMA Network Open cohort study found e-cigarette use was associated with increased risk of respiratory illness symptoms in adolescents (reported in paper)
05
A 2021 systematic review reported nicotine exposure via e-cigarettes can affect adolescent brain development (review finding)
06
A 2019 study in Pediatrics found e-cigarette use was associated with lower respiratory function measures in adolescents (reported in paper)
07
A 2020 study found that youth e-cigarette use is associated with increased risk of developing depressive symptoms (reported in paper)
08
A 2019 cross-sectional study found e-cigarette use associated with higher odds of anxiety symptoms among adolescents (reported in paper)
09
A 2022 longitudinal study reported e-cigarette use predicted future nicotine dependence symptoms among adolescents (reported in paper)
10
A 2020 review reported that e-cigarette aerosol contains ultrafine particles and toxicants relevant to cardiovascular health (review)
11
A 2023 systematic review found e-cigarette use associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease biomarkers (review)
12
A 2021 paper in Addiction reported that youth e-cigarette use is associated with changes in heart rate variability (reported in paper)
13
A 2022 JAMA study found that exposure to e-cigarette aerosol can increase systemic inflammation markers (reported in paper)
14
A 2017 study found that adolescent nicotine exposure can affect synaptic development (neuroscience evidence, quantified effects)
15
A 2020 review reported that e-cigarette use increases oxidative stress indicators (review)
16
A 2021 scoping review found 4.0%–15.0% of youth e-cigarette users report nicotine dependence symptoms (range reported)
17
A 2022 meta-analysis found e-cigarette use is associated with increased risk of future tobacco use initiation (OR ~2.0–3.0 reported)
18
A 2023 study found that high school vaping is associated with higher school absenteeism (reported in paper)
19
A 2020 study found nicotine vaping among teens is associated with lower grade point average (reported in paper)
20
A 2021 study found that adolescents who vape have higher rates of sleep problems (reported in paper)
21
E-cigarette aerosol contains nicotine and other toxicants; one study measured mean nicotine concentration in e-cigarette liquid sold in the U.S. at 4–50 mg/mL (study range)
Interpretation
Health Impacts Interpretation
Across multiple studies in 2018 to 2023, youth vaping is repeatedly linked with measurable health harms, including about a 2.5 times higher risk of future combustible smoking and around a 3.5 times higher odds of later cigarette smoking, alongside respiratory symptoms and emerging cardiovascular and brain development concerns in the Health Impacts category.
06 · Category
Policy & Enforcement1 stats
01
1,645 poison-center calls related to e-cigarette exposures in youth/young adults were reported to U.S. poison centers in 2021
Interpretation
Policy & Enforcement Interpretation
In 2021, 1,645 poison-center calls for e-cigarette exposures among youth and young adults underscore the need for stronger Policy & Enforcement efforts to prevent harmful vaping incidents before they reach medical response.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Student Vaping Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/student-vaping-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Student Vaping Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/student-vaping-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Student Vaping Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/student-vaping-statistics.
Sources & references
39 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+30 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)