Electronic Vapor Product Use Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021

Results

Ever Used an Electronic Vapor Product

Overall, 36.2% of high school students ever used EVPs in 2021 (Table 2). The prevalence of ever use of an EVP varied by sex, race and ethnicity, and sexual identity. For example, the prevalence of EVP use was higher among female students (40.9%) than male students (32.1%); higher among Hispanic (40.4%), multiracial (36.8%), White (36.7%), NH/OPI (36.1%), Black (33.6%), and AI/AN students (33.5%) than Asian students (19.5%); and higher among bisexual students (48.9%) than heterosexual (34.7%), gay or lesbian (34.4%), and other or questioning students (33.5%).

During 2015–2021, a linear decrease occurred in ever use of an EVP (from 44.9% to 36.2%), overall and among male (from 46.1% to 32.1%), AI/AN (from 61.3% to 33.5%), Black (from 42.4% to 33.6%), Hispanic (from 51.9% to 40.4%), NH/OPI (from 61.4% to 36.1%), and multiracial students (from 48.1% to 36.8%) (Table 3). In addition, from 2019 to 2021, decreases were observed in ever use of an EVP, overall (from 50.1% to 36.2%), among female (from 50.7% to 40.9%), male (from 49.6% to 32.1%), AI/AN (from 57.9% to 33.5%), Black (from 40.0% to 33.6%), Hispanic (from 49.5% to 40.4%), NH/OPI (from 58.7% to 36.1%), White (from 54.7% to 36.7%), and multiracial students (from 55.3% to 36.8%).

Current Electronic Vapor Product Use

Overall, 18.0% of students currently used an EVP in 2021. The prevalence of current EVP use varied by sex, race and ethnicity, and sexual identity. For example, the prevalence of EVP use was higher among female students (21.4%) than male students (14.9%); higher among NH/OPI (24.7%), AI/AN (23.2%), White (20.3%), Hispanic (17.8%), multiracial (17.1%), and Black students (14.0%) than Asian students (5.5%); and higher among bisexual students (29.0%) than heterosexual (16.4%), gay or lesbian (15.8%), and other or questioning students (15.7%).

During 2015–2021, there was no linear change in current use of an EVP overall; however, there was a linear increase among female students (22.6% in 2015; 10.5% in 2017; 33.5% in 2019; 21.4% in 2021) and a linear decrease among male students (from 25.6% to 14.9%). There also was a linear decrease among Asian students (from 14.5% to 5.5%), but not among any other racial or ethnic group. From 2019 to 2021, decreases were observed in current use of an EVP overall (from 32.7% to 18.0%), among female (from 33.5% to 21.4%) and male (from 32.0% to 14.9%) students, and among AI/AN (from 47.3% to 23.2%), Asian (from 13.0% to 5.5%), Black (from 19.7% to 14.0%), Hispanic (from 31.2% to 17.8%), NH/OPI (from 38.8% to 24.7%), White (from 38.3% to 20.3%), and multiracial students (from 33.5% to 17.1%).

Daily Use of Electronic Vapor Products

Overall, 5.0% of students reported daily use of an EVP in 2021. The prevalence of daily use of an EVP varied by race and ethnicity and sexual identity. For example, the prevalence of daily use of an EVP was higher among NH/OPI (8.0%), White (6.5%), multiracial (5.3%), Hispanic (3.4%), and Black students (3.1%) than among Asian students (1.2%). Prevalence also was higher among bisexual students (7.5%) than among other or questioning (4.6%) and heterosexual students (4.4%).

During 2015–2021, a linear increase occurred in daily use of an EVP overall (from 2.0% to 5.0%), among female (from 1.1% to 5.6%) and male students (from 2.8% to 4.5%), and among Black (from 1.1% to 3.1%), Hispanic (from 2.6% to 3.4%), White (from 1.9% to 6.5%), and multiracial students (from 2.8% to 5.3%). From 2019 to 2021, decreases were observed in daily use of an EVP use overall (from 7.2% to 5.0%), among male students (from 7.9% to 4.5%), and among Hispanic (from 5.2% to 3.4%) and White students (from 9.3% to 6.5%).

Usual Source of Electronic Vapor Products

Among the 18.0% of students who currently used EVPs, 54.1% indicated they usually “got or bought them from a friend, family member, or someone else.” Other responses to the question about where students usually obtained EVP included, “bought them in a vape shop or tobacco shop” (12.4%), “bought them in a convenience store, supermarket, discount store, or gas station” (6.8%), “bought them at a mall or shopping center kiosk or stand” (0.5%), “bought them on the Internet, such as from a product website, vape store website, or other website like eBay, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist” (1.7%), “took them from a store or another person” (2.8%), or “got them in some other way” (21.7%).