Flavored vaping remains common among people who currently use e-cigarettes, even as the estimated number and percentage of U.S. students who vape have declined. In 2024, 87.6% of current middle and high school e-cigarette users reported using a flavored product, while 1.63 million students were estimated to be current e-cigarette users. These figures describe different parts of the issue: flavor preference among current users and the size of the current-use population.
Table of contents
- The 2024 snapshot
- Which flavors youth reported
- Devices, brands, and frequency of use
- How youth vaping changed from 2020 to 2024
- What earlier youth data showed
- Adult flavored vaping statistics
The 2024 snapshot
The 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 5.9% of U.S. middle and high school students were current e-cigarette users, down from 7.7% in 2023. The estimated number of current student users fell from 2.13 million in 2023 to 1.63 million in 2024. The CDC/FDA 2024 NYTS MMWR reports these estimates for U.S. students.
The grade-level figures were different. Current e-cigarette use was 7.8% among high school students in 2024, down from 10.0% in 2023. Among middle school students, current use was 3.5% in 2024; the change from 2023 was not statistically significant. These percentages measure current use, not lifetime experimentation or the share of all students who use flavored products.
Among students who currently used e-cigarettes, 88.2% of high school users and 85.7% of middle school users reported using a flavored e-cigarette in 2024, according to the CDC youth tobacco data page. Across current middle and high school users together, the CDC/FDA 2024 NYTS MMWR reported flavored-product use at 87.6%.
| 2024 measure | Percentage or estimate | Population described |
|---|---|---|
| Current e-cigarette use | 5.9% | Middle and high school students |
| Flavored e-cigarette use | 87.6% | Current middle and high school e-cigarette users |
| Flavored use among high school users | 88.2% | Current high school e-cigarette users |
| Flavored use among middle school users | 85.7% | Current middle school e-cigarette users |
| Estimated current users | 1.63 million | U.S. students |
Flavor reporting also included newer naming conventions. In 2024, 54.6% of students currently using e-cigarettes reported using flavors with “ice” or “iced” in the name. The measure identifies the share reporting that flavor concept; it does not mean that 54.6% used only an ice or iced product.
Which flavors youth reported
Fruit was the leading flavor type among current youth e-cigarette users in 2024, reported by 62.8%, according to the CDC/FDA 2024 NYTS MMWR. Candy was reported by 33.3%, and mint by 25.1%. These categories can overlap because a person may use more than one flavor type.
The 2024 results show why a single “most popular flavor” statistic does not describe every product characteristic. Fruit was the most commonly reported flavor type, while “ice” or “iced” language appeared in the names of products used by more than half of current student users. The statistics measure reported use, not sales volume, product availability, or exposure in indoor air.
The 2023 results were similar in broad pattern. Among current youth e-cigarette users, 89.4% reported using a flavored product during the past 30 days. Fruit was reported by 63.4%, candy by 35.0%, and tobacco flavor by 6.4%. In the same 2023 survey, 57.9% of youth tobacco users who used e-cigarettes reported flavors with “ice” or “iced” in the name. These figures come from the CDC 2023 NYTS MMWR and use that survey’s measurement period and definitions.
For disposable e-cigarette users in 2023, fruit was reported by 70.5%, candy by 39.8%, mint by 32.0%, and menthol by 18.7%. Those percentages describe current youth disposable e-cigarette users, not all current youth e-cigarette users. The distinction matters because device type and flavor reporting were measured together for that subgroup.
Among students using any tobacco product in 2023, 86.9% used a flavored product. For comparison within the same CDC 2023 NYTS MMWR, 40.4% of cigarette users reported menthol as the flavor type. The two figures refer to different user groups and should not be read as a direct comparison of equivalent products.
Devices, brands, and frequency of use
In 2024, disposable e-cigarettes were the device type used most often by 55.6% of current youth e-cigarette users, according to the CDC/FDA 2024 NYTS MMWR. Prefilled or refillable pods or cartridges were used most often by 15.6%, while tanks or mod systems were used most often by 7.0%.
The same source reported brand use among current youth e-cigarette users. Elf Bar was used by 36.1%, Breeze by 19.9%, Mr. Fog by 15.8%, Vuse by 13.7%, and JUUL by 12.6%. These are reported brand-use percentages, not market-share estimates, and the categories may not be mutually exclusive.
Frequency was also concentrated among a substantial portion of current users. In 2024, 38.4% of current youth e-cigarette users reported frequent use, defined in the CDC/FDA 2024 NYTS MMWR as use on at least 20 of the last 30 days. Daily use was reported by 26.3%. “Current user” therefore includes a range of use frequencies rather than one uniform pattern.
Nicotine pouches provide a related but separate measure. In 2024, 1.8% of middle and high school students reported current nicotine pouch use. Among current youth nicotine pouch users, 85.6% reported using a flavored product; mint was reported by 53.3%, fruit by 22.4%, and menthol by 19.3%. These pouch statistics should not be combined with e-cigarette statistics because they describe a different product.
How youth vaping changed from 2020 to 2024
The available survey figures show a decline in the percentage of students currently using e-cigarettes between 2023 and 2024, alongside persistent flavor use among those who did vape. The 2024 current-use estimate was 5.9% for middle and high school students, compared with 7.7% in 2023. High school current use was 7.8% in 2024 versus 10.0% in 2023. The middle school figure was 3.5% in 2024, with no statistically significant change from 2023 reported in the supplied CDC/FDA summary.
Earlier data also document a major shift toward disposables. In 2020, disposable e-cigarette use among high school current e-cigarette users increased from 2.4% to 26.5%. Among middle school current users, it increased from 3.0% to 15.2%. The CDC 2020 NYTS MMWR presents these changes within its survey reporting; they are not a forecast of later device use.
| Survey year and group | Flavored-use measure | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 high school users | Used flavored e-cigarettes | 82.9% |
| 2020 middle school users | Used flavored e-cigarettes | 73.9% |
| 2021 current youth users | Used flavored e-cigarettes overall | 84.7% |
| 2023 current youth users | Used a flavored product in the past 30 days | 89.4% |
| 2024 current youth users | Used a flavored product | 87.6% |
The table brings together year-specific measures from the CDC 2020 and 2021 NYTS MMWRs, the CDC 2023 NYTS MMWR, and the CDC/FDA 2024 NYTS MMWR. The wording and populations differ slightly by survey year, so the values indicate reported patterns rather than a perfectly uniform time series.
What earlier youth data showed
In 2021, flavored e-cigarette use was reported by 85.8% of high school current users and 79.2% of middle school current users. Among youth flavored disposable e-cigarette users, fruit was reported by 78.7%, candy, desserts, or other sweets by 34.3%, mint by 30.1%, and menthol by 21.5%.
Flavor patterns varied by device among youth flavored-product users in 2021. Fruit was reported by 57.9% of pod or cartridge users, while menthol was reported by 46.3% of that group. Among tank or mod system users, fruit was reported by 70.9% and candy, desserts, or other sweets by 51.2%.
Across youth flavored e-cigarette users overall in 2021, candy, desserts, or other sweets were reported by 34.1%, mint by 30.2%, and menthol by 28.8%. In 2020, among high school students who used flavored e-cigarettes, fruit was reported by 73.1%, mint by 55.8%, menthol by 37.0%, and candy, desserts, or other sweets by 36.4%. Among middle school students who used flavored e-cigarettes, the corresponding figures were 75.6% for fruit, 46.5% for mint, 23.5% for menthol, and 47.2% for candy, desserts, or other sweets. These historical figures come from the CDC 2020 and 2021 NYTS MMWRs.
Adult flavored vaping statistics
Adult survey results provide a different perspective because they describe adult current e-cigarette users rather than students. In 2018 PATH data, 83.5% of U.S. adult current e-cigarette users reported using flavored e-cigarettes. A separate JNCI adult subpopulations study reported that, in July 2018, 77.3% of U.S. adult current e-cigarette users used flavored e-cigarettes, while current flavored e-cigarette use among all U.S. adults was 1.6%.
The same July 2018 study reported variation by age among adults who currently vaped. Flavored e-cigarette use was 89.6% among adults aged 18–24, 86.7% among those aged 25–34, 76.0% among those aged 35–44, and 60.4% among adults aged 45 years and older.
Smoking history was also associated with different reported percentages in the study. Among never smokers who currently vaped, 89.8% used flavored e-cigarettes. The figure was 72.9% among current smokers who currently vaped, 73.9% among long-term former smokers who currently vaped, and 80.4% among recent former smokers who currently vaped.
Purpose and context produced additional differences. Among smokers who vaped where or when smoking was not allowed, 78.9% used flavored e-cigarettes, compared with 71.1% among smokers who did not vape in those situations. Among smokers who vaped to quit smoking, 75.0% used flavored e-cigarettes; among smokers who did not vape to quit, the figure was 73.9%. These adult estimates describe July 2018 study data and should not be presented as current 2024 or 2026 measurements.