A study released this past week found that overall e-cigarette monthly unit sales increased by 46.6 percent—from 15.5 million units in January of 2020, to 22.7 million units in December of 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During the study period, the number of brands increased by 46.2 percent, from 184 to 269 brands. Prefilled devices decreased, while disposable devices increased; and sales of youth-appealing flavors—such as fruit, candy, and desserts—increased.
The study also reported the top-selling brands. During December 2022, the five top-selling e-cigarette brands were Vuse, JUUL, Elf Bar, NJOY and Breeze Smoke, respectively, with Elf Bar emerging as the top-selling disposable brand in the United States. Elf Bar (now marketed as EBDESIGN) was the top disposable brand reported among a sample of youth (aged 16–19) in the United States in August 2022, and was responsible for driving recent, sharp increases in e-cigarette use among youth (aged 16-19) in England.
“The dramatic spikes in youth e-cigarette use back in 2017 and 2018, primarily driven by JUUL, showed us how quickly e-cigarette sales and use patterns can change,” said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, PhD, MPH, director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. “Retail sales data are key to providing real-time information on the rapidly changing e-cigarette landscape, which is essential to reducing youth tobacco use.”
E-cigarette products, related policies, and use patterns change rapidly. Youth use of tobacco in any form, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe. Additionally, tobacco product use remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. To reduce the use of tobacco products, it is essential that commercial tobacco control strategies reach all population groups equitably.
These strategies include comprehensive restrictions on the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes, and flavored cigars, in all jurisdictions; coupled with longstanding evidence-based youth prevention strategies, such as price increases and comprehensive smokefree policies that prohibit use of both e-cigarettes and smoked tobacco products indoors.
A new study has found a troubling surge in the popularity of e-cigarettes.
