Lung Association: New CDC Report Shows Urgent Need to Halt All Illegal Flavored E-Cigarettes Sales

Today, using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a new MMWR was released, titled “E-cigarette Unit Sales by Product and Flavor Type, and Top-Selling Brands, United States, 2020–2022,” which reports on e-cigarette sales trends over the past three years. In response to this new report, American Lung Association National President and CEO Harold Wimmer released the following statement:  

“It is stunning that seven years after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deemed authority over e-cigarettes, that a new report from the CDC reveals that e-cigarette product sales increased 46.6% in the last three years, and that specifically, there was an increase in the number of brands on the market, number of disposable devices and flavored products. 

“No flavored e-cigarette has been granted a marketing authorization by FDA. It is unacceptable that fruit, candy and dessert flavored e-cigarettes continue to dominate the market. The 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey revealed that 85% of middle and high school students who vape use flavored e-cigarettes, so this new report reinforces the urgency for the FDA to remove all illegal flavored products from the market. 

“In just three years, the number of different e-cigarette brands increased by 46.2%. This study only covers data from physical locations that sell e-cigarettes, and excludes vape shops and online sales, so it is likely the number of different brands is even higher. This study underscores that the U.S. Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies must act against importers, wholesalers and distributors in order to stem the tide. 

“Some tobacco companies, notably Reynolds American, would like policymakers to believe that the only products that require enforcement action are disposable e-cigarettes. The problem extends to all e-cigarette types, including Reynolds’ Vuse, a non-disposable product, that is the most popular brand in the study. 

“E-cigarettes continue to hook our kids. This new report highlights the need for the FDA to complete its review of e-cigarette marketing applications and deny applications for all flavored e-cigarettes, including menthol-flavored products as soon as possible, but no later than the end of 2023. FDA must protect our youth and end the youth vaping epidemic.”

The Lung Association has resources to prevent tobacco use and help youth quit, specifically designed for schools, parents and teens, including TalkAboutVaping, our Vape-Free Schools Initiative, Not On Tobacco, and more resources available online.