In a major turnaround from the vaping epidemic that gripped U.S. teens just a few years ago, new federal research shows youth e-cigarette use has dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade. And experts say a key public health campaign might be why.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, teen vaping rates have plummeted by nearly 70% since 2019—a staggering decline that public health officials are calling one of the biggest wins in youth tobacco prevention in years.
Real Cost Campaign Credited With Major Impact
The study points to a single driving force behind the decline: the FDA’s “The Real Cost” campaign.
Launched in 2018, the campaign took a gritty, blunt approach to showing teens the real dangers of nicotine and vaping. Forget boring classroom posters. These were social media videos, graphic images, and punchy slogans designed to actually grab attention—and clearly, it worked.
Between 2023 and 2024 alone, researchers estimate nearly 450,000 Americans between the ages of 11 and 17 were prevented from picking up e-cigarettes.
That’s not a small victory. That’s half a million kids who never started.
Biggest Drop in a Decade
The numbers are hard to ignore. According to the latest data:
• Youth vaping is at its lowest point in 10 years
• Usage dropped by nearly 70% compared to its 2019 peak
• Nearly 450,000 teens avoided vaping just last year
The vaping craze, which exploded around 2017 with the popularity of sleek devices like JUUL, sent alarm bells ringing across schools and hospitals nationwide. At one point, flavored vapes were everywhere—lunchrooms, locker rooms, even bathrooms.
But now? Not so much.
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Public health campaigns, stricter regulations, and changing teen attitudes seem to have combined to finally reverse the trend.
Schools Still Wary, But Hopeful
Despite the positive data, many educators and school counselors remain cautious.
“There’s no doubt the numbers are moving in the right direction,” said one high school administrator in Grand Junction. “But we’re not letting our guard down.”
Some schools are still dealing with students sneaking disposable vapes or new products that slip under the radar. Others say they’re seeing a shift—less nicotine, more marijuana vapes instead.
That’s a whole different issue.
Still, for now, the vaping-specific fight appears to be gaining ground.
Vaping’s Appeal Wears Off
So, what changed?
Part of it might be the messaging, but part of it might just be that vaping isn’t cool anymore.
Teens, especially Gen Z, have shown growing skepticism toward trends they see as manipulative or inauthentic. That includes addictive substances once marketed as harmless alternatives.
And the side effects—coughing, shortness of breath, irritability—aren’t exactly appealing either.
One Colorado student said it bluntly: “Vaping’s kind of gross now.”
And when something becomes uncool in high school? That’s usually the beginning of the end.
Where the Numbers Go From Here
Public health experts are celebrating—but staying focused.
The FDA isn’t done yet. Officials say they’ll continue monitoring usage rates and cracking down on companies that target minors. That includes enforcing bans on flavored e-cigarettes and pushing platforms like TikTok and Instagram to block youth-targeted ads.
At the same time, there’s growing pressure to look beyond vaping and toward marijuana vapes, synthetic nicotine, and new delivery systems entering the market.
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The landscape is shifting, but for now, the trend is good.
If this decline holds, it could reshape the entire future of youth tobacco use in America—and possibly shut down what once looked like the next generation’s addiction crisis.
