Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham analyzed cross-sectional data from the CDC's National Youth Tobacco Survey data from 1999 to 2020 and found that teen smoking rates have been declining, while e-cigarette use has increased.

The CDC's Any Tobacco Product Use measure, a binary measure that asks someone if they have used any tobacco product in the past 30 days, cannot differentiate the risk from nicotine products. The team found that while e-cigarette use has risen sharply since 2014, cigarettes are the most commonly used nicotine or tobacco product for middle school students, which has led to a sharp decline in the use of more harmful combustible tobacco products.

They also found that the CDC's Any Tobacco Product Use measure, a binary measure that asks someone if they have used any tobacco product in the past 30 days, could not differentiate the risk of using nicotine products. "Most cigarette brands contain similar ingredients, concentrations and chemicals," said research fellow Dr. Ruoyan Sun, assistant professor in the Department of Health Care Organization and Policy at the UAB School of Public Health.

"Instead, vaping products are diverse and vary in chemical level and composition. To more accurately track nicotine and tobacco use patterns and their associated risks, investigations need to consider product use frequency and product-specific risks."

E-cigarette use is declining in Utah

Meanwhile, Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) survey results released earlier this month showed a decline in teen substance abuse and vaping across the state.

Discussing the findings, Utah Department of Health (UDOH) spokesman Ryan Bartlett said the sharp drop in teen vaping rates may be the result of health concerns, especially in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. “What we’ve seen this year is a dramatic decline in vaping. Just a few years ago, then-surgeon Jerome Adams declared vaping an epidemic among young people. Current data show that, This is a nationwide downward trend," Bartlett said.