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3w ago

California Flavor Bans Linked to Lower Youth Vaping, UC San Diego Study Finds

Stronger enforcement and clearer rules appear to deepen the drop in teen e-cigarette use over time.

PHOTO FROM 2017: Vaping appears to have replaced cigarettes as the primary nicotine delivery device for teens. At least 19 percent of high school seniors said they vaped nicotine in the last year, along with 16 percent of sophomores and 8 percent of eighth-graders. (Diedra Laird/Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Overview

  • UC San Diego researchers reported Friday that a JAMA Health Forum study found local restrictions on flavored tobacco sales in California are associated with declines in youth vaping.
  • The team analyzed 2,805,708 California Healthy Kids Survey responses from 2017 to 2022 covering grades 7, 9, and 11 to measure past-month tobacco use.
  • The study used a dynamic difference-in-differences design that tracked outcomes as different cities adopted bans at different times to isolate policy effects over several years.
  • Current e-cigarette use was 6.2% in jurisdictions with flavor bans compared with 7.7% in areas without such policies, and there was no increase in youth cigarette smoking.
  • Researchers say effects grew as local rules were strengthened and enforcement resources expanded after the statewide ban took effect in 2023, while cautioning results may differ outside California and warrant continued monitoring.