FRIDAY, October 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) – It turns out that the pandemic has reaped an unexpected benefit: As teens were more often confined to the house, their use of e-cigarettes fell by almost 40%, according to a new one. report.

U.S. health officials have said these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, but the decrease in vaping in 2021 is likely real and logical as teens often vape socially, an expert told the US. Associated Press.

“They saw a dramatic drop from last year, and it’s hard to imagine that this doesn’t represent a real decrease in usage among high school and college students,” Dr Nancy Rigotti of the Harvard University, which was not involved in the research, told the PA.

The survey found that 11% of high school students and less than 3% of middle school students reported having recently used e-cigarettes and other vaping products.

The previous year, nearly 20% of high school students and nearly 5% of middle school students had used electronic cigarettes, PA reported.

Before the pandemic, teen vaping was already on the decline as federal laws raised the age for purchasing all tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21, the PA reported. The United States Food and Drug Administration has also banned most flavored e-cigarette cartridges, which has boosted the popularity of vaping among teens.

Some teens may also have responded to the epidemic of vaping-related illness and death from vaping fluids containing THC, the active chemical in marijuana, the PA Noted.

Further investigations are needed to confirm these results, Rigotti said. As teens are now back in school, e-cigarette use may rebound.

However, “I’m sure the schools are working hard to make sure this doesn’t happen,” she added.

Government officials estimate that around 2 million American teens vape, a number they say is still far too high.

“Electronic cigarette use among young people remains a serious public health problem,” CDC specialist Karen Hacker said in an FDA press release on the investigation. “It is essential that we continue to work together to protect young people from the risks associated with the use of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. “

The FDA is considering further restricting vaping. The agency is considering deciding which brands and products of electronic cigarettes can remain in the market and which should be phased out, the PA reported.

The agency has yet to rule on the major manufacturers that make up the bulk of the market, including Juul and Vuse, but other brands are replacing them as the most popular with teens, according to the government report.

The best brand for high school kids is a disposable e-cigarette called Puff Bar which comes in flavors like pink lemonade, strawberry, and mango. These disposable flavored electronic cigarettes aren’t as tightly regulated as Juul, which only contains menthol and tobacco. Among students, only 6% regularly use Juul, the PA reported.

The results were published in the October 1 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

More information

Visit the FDA to learn more about the dangers of vaping.

SOURCES: Associated Press; US Food and Drug Administration, press release, September 30, 2021