Heartland: Flavors not the reason for Vermont Youth E-Cigarettes

[LoveVanilla]

Flavors Are Not Reason Vermont Youth Use E-Cigarettes

In 2019, only 10 percent of Vermont high school students that were current e-cigarette users, cited flavors as a primary reason for e-cigarette use.

Despite recent fearmongering, e-cigarettes and vapor products are significantly less harmful than combustible cigarettes.

Flavors are an essential component in tobacco harm reduction. In 2015, an online survey of more than 27,000 American adult vapers found that 72 percent of respondents “credit[ed] interesting flavors with helping them quit.” A 2018 survey of nearly 70,000 American adult vapers “found flavors play a vital role in the use of electronic cigarettes and vaping devices.” Further, 83.2 percent and 72.3 percent of survey respondents reported vaping fruit and dessert flavors, respectively, “at least some of the time.”

It is disingenuous that lawmakers would eradicate a tobacco harm reduction product while dedicating so little to helping smokers quit. For example, in 2019, Vermont received an estimated $99.8 million in tobacco taxes and tobacco settlement payments, yet allocated only $3.8 million, or 3 percent, on funding tobacco control programs.

It is apparent that flavors are not the main driver of youth e-cigarette use, but are essential for adult former smokers.