US vaping estimates show higher prevalence and frequency over a decade
An analysis of national survey data estimates that vaping days in the U.S. rose 183% between 2013–14 and 2022–23. Daily vaping increased 230%, and vaping among people under 21 more than quadrupled. The authors suggest that tracking vaping frequency could improve public health monitoring.
The analysis drew on seven waves of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health survey, comparing 2013–14 with 2022–23. Total vaping days rose 183%; use within the previous month grew 45%, and daily use grew 230%. Among respondents under 21 who had vaped in that month, vaping days rose 337%; for ages 12–17, the increase was 278%, and this group accounted for 16% of all vaping days by 2022–23.
The largest prevalence and frequency gains followed 2016–18, a period the authors link to JUUL’s emergence and nicotine-salt liquids. Adult vaping days kept rising after the COVID-19 pandemic, driven mainly by more frequent use rather than population growth. The authors note survey recall limits and the observational design.
The findings could sharpen public-health monitoring by adding frequency to prevalence, helping officials and clinicians see where vaping intensity is concentrated. Young people and adults under 21 may be especially affected, given the reported growth in their vaping days, while adult smokers who use e-cigarettes to quit could also be affected by how such trends are interpreted. More frequent use may raise questions about nicotine exposure and dual use, though the observational data cannot show causation.