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Kids using nicotine vape products are increasingly becoming daily users, according to a cross sectional study in JAMA Network Open. From 2020 to 2024, overall nicotine vaping among American kids in middle and high school declined, but daily use and dependence increased. In the national study of more than 115,000 youth, past-30-day vaping dropped. However, among current users, daily vaping nearly doubled—from 15.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.1%-18.0%) in 2020 to 28.8% (95%CI, 26.6%-31.0%) in 2024 (risk ratio [RR], 1.14; 95%CI, 1.11-1.18). What’s more, unsuccessful attempts at quitting among daily users of vape products rose from 28.2% to 53.0% during the study period (RR 1.08; 95% CI 1.02–1.15)—suggesting growing nicotine dependence among teens and tweens. Rural youths showed the steepest rise in daily use (16% to 42%). Although fewer teens vape overall, those who continue are having a challenging time quitting, the authors conclude.
Be like the cool kids: The most common reason why middle and high school students try vape products is because their friends are using them, and more than 70% report seeing advertisements for e-cigarettes or social-media-related content. Clinicians should ask about vaping for teen and preteen patient, especially for those who experience seizure—which is a known side effect of vaping with most reports of related seizure involving young people, according to a safety communication from the Food and Drug Administration.