The prevalence of electronic nicotine product use has risen dramatically among adolescents and young adults over the past decade. Electronic nicotine products include e-cigarettes, vape pens, personal vaporizers and mods, e-cigars, e-pipes, e-hookahs, and hookah pens. No matter how it is delivered, nicotine is addictive and harmful for youth and young adults. Accordingly, the Surgeon General cites e-cigarette use among youth as a significant public health concern. Reducing the use of any tobacco product, including electronic nicotine products, is also a Healthy People 2030 objective.
This Statistical Brief explores the characteristics of young adults (aged 18-24) who had ever used an electronic nicotine product. The estimates are presented by age, sex, race/ethnicity, perceived physical and mental health status, census region, residence inside or outside a metropolitan statistical area (MSA), current smoking status, and presence of an asthma diagnosis. The data source is the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ’s) 2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC). The sample represents all adults aged 18 and older in the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. All differences mentioned in the text are significant at the p<0.05 level or better.