In 2022, the National Youth Tobacco Survey was released by the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey reported back results that showed “more than 1 in 10 middle and high school students (3.08 million) had used a tobacco product during the past 30 days - including 16.5% high school and 4.5% middle school students.” (FDA.gov) The data was collected between January and May of 2022 amongst US middle and high school students that were in grades 6 to 12. Most current users (nearly 85%) use flavored e-cigarettes, with a wide range of flavors from fruits to different types of desserts. 

E-cigarettes were developed in 2003 by a Chinese pharmacist that wanted something to serve as an alternative to conventional smoking. As years passed, it became more accessible to everyone around the world but more specifically to teenagers. It also became more popular as “the UK's national health body conducted a widely-cited study concluding that vaping was 95 percent safer than smoking.” (Breazy) More smokers began vaping believing that vaping was healthier than smoking. However, vaping could cause even more serious effects and issues as the nicotine concentration is higher. (Acker) 

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that can harm adolescents’ brain development and the brain keeps developing until about age 25. Harming brain development affects the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. Young people that use e-cigarettes are not only more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future but also more likely to become addicted to other drugs in the future. 

When someone becomes dependent on nicotine but suddenly stops using it, they experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms which include irritability, restlessness, feeling anxious or depressed, trouble sleeping, problems concentrating, and craving nicotine. Because of all these symptoms, they rely on nicotine to relieve these symptoms and it becomes an endless cycle.

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