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By Sophie Clark
Live News Reporter
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E-cigarettes remain the tobacco product most used by children in the United States, however their use has declined significantly, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the CDC, e-cigarettes, or vapes, have declined in use among middle and high school students. E-cigarette use has gone from 2.13 million students using them in 2023, to 1.63 million in 2024.
Vaping still remains a significant issue, with 2.5% of middle schoolers reporting that they use e-cigarettes, meaning that children as young as 11 years-old are starting to use nicotine products. The most popular vape among the children studied is the Elf Bar, a brand that boasts over 30 flavours of vape including Watermelon Ice and Pink Lemonade. ELFBARs are the preferred vape brand among 560,000 users.
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Breeze vapes are the second-most popular vapes, as they are the favourite of 310,000 users, and also come in fruit flavours such as Blue Raspberry and Cherry Cola.
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Breeze has a section of its website dedicated to combating underage vaping. It states: "As an e-cigarette industry, we are responsible for saying no to underage vaping...We support the FDA's commitment to leverage its authority and resources to take additional steps to address these new, emerging issues associated with underage use. We are committed to being part of the solution and understand that the most important way we can make sure kids don't use any tobacco products is to limit access and appeal."
Unsurprisingly, the study shows that 1.4 million of the students surveyed prefer vapes that do not taste like tobacco.
Both Elf and Breeze bars are also illegal in the United States, as they lack authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. So, not only is selling a vape to a minor illegal, but the vapes themselves are also in violation of the FDA.
Additionally, the only vapes that are authorised by the FDA are tobacco flavoured, meaning the 1.4 million children smoking e-cigarettes that are fruit, menthol, or any other flavour, have all been sold vapes that are illegal in the United States as a whole.
A spokesperson for Elf Bar told Newsweek: "We have huge reservations about the findings of the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, particularly that Elf Bar remains the most-used vape by the group under age 18.
"Since February 2023, Elf Bar has stopped shipping its products to and marketing them in the US. We must say that Elf Bar-branded products currently available in the US are not from Elf Bar.
"This leads to aggravated concerns we must highlight — the illicit vape market in the US thrives, and an alarming number of Elf Bar-branded counterfeits are sold in the US, despite our efforts to combat these counterfeits. Since mid-2021, some 230 businesses involved in manufacturing, shipping, and storing counterfeits have been shut down in our collaboration with law enforcement worldwide."
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Kathy Crosby, CEO and President of the Truth Initiative, a non-profit committed to preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction, spoke to Newsweek, saying: "While the significant drop in youth e-cigarette use is a public health win, the nearly 40% of teens who vape frequently remain at high risk for nicotine addiction."
Crosby said there is an urgent need for stronger protections and continued support for evidence-based programs to prevent children from vaping, and to help them to quit successfully.
Crosby added: "The vast majority of youth-appealing e-cigarettes are on the market illegally, and retailers should immediately stop selling these harmful products.
"The tobacco industry's pursuit of the next generation and retailers' easy access to illegal flavored tobacco products remain serious public health threats, and we must hold them accountable while giving young people the tools they need to break free from nicotine addiction."
A spokesperson for Elf Bar told Newsweek: "Since Elf Bar's inception, our products have never been intended for minors, and never will they be. While we are aware of the concerns surrounding flavored vapes, we must admit the vital role flavors play in helping adult smokers transition from smoking, according to multiple evidence-based researches globally."
Update, 09/13/24, 9:25 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional comment from Elf Bar.
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