Characteristics of Young Adults Aged 18-24 Who Had Ever Used an Electronic Nicotine Product

The prevalence of electronic nicotine product use has risen dramatically among adolescents and young adults over the past decade. Electronic nicotine products include e-cigarettes, vape pens, personal vaporizers and mods, e-cigars, e-pipes, e-hookahs, and hookah pens. No matter how it is delivered, nicotine is addictive and harmful for youth and young adults. Accordingly, the Surgeon General cites e-cigarette use among youth as a significant public health concern. Reducing the use of any tobacco product, including electronic nicotine products, is also a Healthy People 2030 objective.

Characteristics of Young Adults Aged 18-24 Who Had Ever Used an Electronic Nicotine Product, a statistical brief from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component , explores the characteristics of young adults (aged 18-24) who had ever used an electronic nicotine product. The estimates are presented by age, sex, race/ethnicity, perceived physical and mental health status, census region, residence inside or outside a metropolitan statistical area (MSA), current smoking status, and presence of an asthma diagnosis.

Highlights

• Nearly one-third (30.6 percent) of U.S. adults ages 18-24 reported ever having used an electronic nicotine product.
• More than one-third (38.3 percent) of non-Hispanic White young adults reported ever having used an electronic nicotine product, nearly double the rate for Hispanic young adults and 12 percentage points higher than for non-Hispanic Black young adults.
• Nearly one-third (29.6 percent) of young adults in metropolitan areas reported ever having used an electronic nicotine product; the percentage was nearly 10 percentage points higher for young adults living outside of metropolitan areas.
• Young adults with fair or poor physical or mental health reported ever having used an electronic nicotine product at higher rates than those in excellent health.
• Young adults who smoked or had an asthma diagnosis were more likely than those who did not smoke or were without an asthma diagnosis to report ever having used an electronic nicotine product.

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