Overview
- The peer‑reviewed analysis was published Oct. 20, 2026 and used nationally representative PATH surveys from 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022 plus follow‑up of 2,356 vapers tracked from 2019 to 2022.
- Daily vaping with products containing at least 4% nicotine rose sharply for 18‑ to 24‑year‑olds, from about 3% in 2017 to 40% in 2019 and 49.2% by 2022.
- In 2022 the odds of using a high‑nicotine device were roughly 12 times higher for 18‑ to 24‑year‑olds than for people 55 and older.
- Users of high‑nicotine e‑cigarettes had higher measured nicotine‑dependence scores and, among people who vaped in 2019, those using high‑nicotine products had 31% lower odds of being abstinent four years later.
- The authors note the study is observational, many respondents did not know product strength, and two widely marketed brands were promoted through social influencers; they argue these patterns raise urgent questions for FDA marketing authorization and signal harder quitting and greater dependence for young people.