More Than 10% of Young Adults in U.S. Regularly Use E-Cigarettes

More than 10% of young adults in the United States regularly use e-cigarettes, a new government report finds.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that overall, 4.5% of adults age 18 and over currently used e-cigarettes in 2021, CNN reports. Use was higher among those identifying as men (5.1%) compared with those identifying as women (4.0%). Current e-cigarette use was highest among adults aged 18–24 (11.0%). Among adults aged 25–44, current e-cigarette use was higher among men (7.9%) compared with women (5.1%). E-cigarette use was lowest among adults 45 and over, and use was similar for men (1.9%) and women (2.0%). Current e-cigarette use decreased with increasing age for both men and women.

Earlier this month, the American Heart Association released a statement warning of the health risks of using e-cigarettes. Ingredients of e-cigarettes, including nicotine, flavoring agents, sweeteners and propylene glycol and vegetable glycerol, may each independently pose dangerous health risks, the group said.