The use of vapor technology, or vaping, among young Americans has become a hot topic. Policy makers have previously expressed concern over the popularity of vaping, including by school-age consumers. More recently, the concerns are easing with new data that indicates youth-vaping is on the decline, and vape products may be an effective tool to ween young cigarette smokers off of tobacco.
Since 2019, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has been a vocal opponent of vaping over concerns with its impact on young people. His focus has largely shaped Minnesota’s smoking and vaping policies, including raising the state’s minimum purchase age for tobacco and nicotine products and supporting bans on flavored vaping products.
However, as youth vaping has declined and vaping’s role as a smoking cessation tool gains recognition, there is increasing pressure to balance concerns over youth health with the benefits vaping can offer to all smokers looking to quit.
“Youth vaping is less of a problem today due to action by the vape industry to avoid marketing to minors,” according to Tony Abboud, Executive Director of the Vapor Technology Association. “At the same time, vaping is the best tool available today to help all consumers quit more dangerous smoking habits,” he said.
As governor, Walz was alarmed by a 2019 survey showing that 25% of Minnesota’s 11th graders had used e-cigarettes, a 54% increase from 2016. “Shame on them—it's clearly meant to addict our children,” he said at the time.
He said he viewed vaping as a public health crisis. His administration issued advisories about vaping-related illnesses and took legal action. In December 2019, Minnesota sued JUUL Labs, Inc., for allegedly violating consumer protection laws and contributing to a public health crisis by marketing to youth.
Walz continued to push for policies that restrict access to vaping products, such as banning flavored tobacco, which he argued are designed to appeal to younger users. His administration also implemented educational campaigns to inform the public about the risks of vaping.
Today, both vaping and cigarette smoking rates among US youth are falling rather than increasing. According to the Associated Press, 10% of U.S. high school students said they used vape products in 2024, down from 14% in 2023.
At the same time, only 2% of U.S. high-schoolers smoke cigarettes today, a huge drop from 35% in the early-2000s, according to a 2023 report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
There also is a growing body of evidence about the benefits of vaping for tobacco smokers seeking to quit traditional cigarettes, which are considered to be more dangerous than vape products.
Vaping has emerged as the leading smoking cessation aid--surpassing nicotine patches and gum—with millions of smokers using e-cigarettes to successfully quit traditional smoking.
In the UK, public health officials have increasingly supported vaping as a smoking cessation tool. The National Health Service and leading physicians’ groups have cited vaping as a lifesaving alternative for smokers. A report from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) stated, “vaping can be a useful tool in helping people quit smoking altogether."
According to the Royal College of Physicians, “if the majority of smokers switched to e-cigarettes, there would be a dramatic reduction in tobacco-related disease and death.”
In addition, a British report released in July by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) indicates that vaping plays a significant role in diverting young people away from traditional smoking.
According to the report, the majority of British youth who have never smoked cigarettes but have used vape products reported doing so out of curiosity. The report says vaping provides an alternative to cigarettes for kids who said they were experimenting or “trying something new.”
The British report notes that 43% of young vape users believe vaping is less harmful than smoking. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said it supports this view.
Also in the U.S., the American Heart Association has stated that the reduction in American smoking is partly due to the increase in e-cigarette use, and the FDA has authorized a handful of e-cigarettes as less-harmful alternatives for adult smokers.