E-Cigarettes
E-cigarettes are especially popular among youth and young adults, raising serious concerns about addiction among young people. E-cigarette sales and use have grown rapidly in the last two decades in the U.S. and around the world, fueled by the widespread availability of kid-friendly flavors and aggressive viral marketing. E-cigarettes are not safe—they can contain high levels of addictive nicotine and other harmful chemicals, and the long-term health effects are unknown.
E-cigarettes are especially popular among youth and young adults, raising serious concerns about addiction among young people. E-cigarette sales and use have grown rapidly in the last two decades in the U.S. and around the world, fueled by the widespread availability of kid-friendly flavors and aggressive viral marketing. E-cigarettes are not safe—they can contain high levels of addictive nicotine and other harmful chemicals, and the long-term health effects are unknown.
What Are E-Cigarettes?
E-cigarettes—sometimes called vapes—are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid to produce an aerosol that delivers nicotine. E-cigarettes are available in thousands of flavors and come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and some even include digital screens. E-cigarettes can deliver massive doses of nicotine, with some containing as much nicotine as 20 packs of cigarettes. Today’s e-cigarettes are bigger, stronger and cheaper than ever, increasing their appeal and risk to young people.
Health Risks
E-cigarette aerosol can contain thousands of chemicals, including nicotine, carcinogens and heavy metals like lead. Nicotine is highly addictive and there is no safe level of exposure for youth. Nicotine can harm the adolescent brain, which continues to develop until about age 25, impacting learning, memory and attention. It can also prime the brain for addiction to other drugs. The long-term health effects are unknown, but emerging evidence suggests e-cigarettes can harm lung and heart health.
Product Use
E-cigarettes have been the most popular tobacco product among youth in the U.S. since 2014. In 2025, over 1.4 million U.S. youth reported current e-cigarette use, with nearly 90% reporting that they use a flavored product. Youth are not just experimenting with e-cigarettes but are reporting frequent use—an indicator of addiction. Use of e-cigarettes is also high among young adults. WHO estimates more than 100 million people globally use e-cigarettes, including 15 million adolescents aged 13-15.
U.S. FDA Regulation of E-Cigarettes
In the United States, e-cigarettes are regulated as tobacco products by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To be legally sold, e-cigarettes must receive marketing authorization from the FDA. To date, 45 tobacco- and menthol-flavored e-cigarettes are authorized, yet there are about 7,000 e-cigarette products on the market. Nearly 70% of e-cigarette sales in the U.S. are illegal, unauthorized products.
Global Regulation of E-Cigarettes
E-cigarettes are regulated differently around the world. Governments regulate e-cigarettes by prohibiting their sale, permitting their sale only as licensed medicinal products, or by applying certain supply and demand reduction measures consistent with those outlined in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). If e-cigarettes are available for sale, measures that align with the WHO FCTC should be applied to both e-cigarettes and tobacco products.
Governments Must Act Quickly to Regulate E-Cigarettes
E-cigarettes should be regulated just like any other tobacco product. Restricting the sale of flavored tobacco products, increasing the tax on e-cigarettes, including e-cigarettes in smoke-free laws, and restricting e-cigarette advertising and promotion can reduce youth e-cigarette use. Tobacco prevention programs and warning labels can also help educate about the risks of e-cigarette use.
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Last updated June 24, 2026