148 - Trends in Daily Nicotine Vaping and Unsuccessful Quit Attempts in US Youths, 2020-2024
Friday, April 24, 2026
5:30pm - 8:00pm ET
Publication Number: 1138.148
Abbey Masonbrink, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Dayoung Bae, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Junhan Cho, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Richard Miech, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Hongying Dai, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; Alyssa F. Harlow, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Steve Sussman, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Pasadena, CA, United States; Dae-Hee Han, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Louisiana M. Sanchez, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Abigail Adjei, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Leah Meza, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Ming Li, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, LA, CA, United States; Adam Leventhal, USC Institute for Addiction Science, Altadena, CA, United States
Research Director, Division of Hospital Medicine Children's Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles, California, United States
Background: Youth in the United States (US) who vape may be hardening over time, as evidenced by shifts toward daily vaping and difficulty quitting, which may vary by behavioral health and demographic factors. Objective: To assess prevalence trends from 2020-2024 in (1) current (past 30-day) nicotine vaping, (2) daily vaping among youth who currently vape, and (3) unsuccessful quit attempts among youth who vape daily; and examine variation in these trends by behavioral health and demographic factors. Design/Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of nationally representative Monitoring the Future annual survey respondents including U.S. 8th, 10th, and 12th graders from 2020-2024. Exposures included survey year, grade, population density, and self-reported sex, race/ethnicity, depressive symptoms, conduct problems, and past-30-day use of other tobacco products, cannabis, and alcohol. Outcomes were self-reported proportions of: (1) past 30-day vaping among all respondents, (2) past-30-day daily vaping among current vaping youth, and (3) unsuccessful quit vaping attempts among daily vaping youth. Results: In the pooled sample of MTF respondents (n=115,191; 49.2% [95% CI: 48.8-49.6%] past 30-day vaping declined from 2020 to 2024 (Risk Ratio [RR]: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.86–0.89). Among youth who currently vaped (n=15,226), daily vaping rose from 15.4% (95% CI: 13.1-18.0%) in 2020 to 28.8% (95% CI: 26.6-31.0%) in 2024 (RR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.11–1.18). Among daily vapers (n=3,512), unsuccessful quit attempts increased from 28.2% (95% CI: 19.5-38.8%) in 2020 to 53.0% (n=45.9-60.0%) in 2024 (RR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02–1.15). For female, non-Hispanic Black, cannabis- and tobacco-using youth, past-30-day vaping prevalence either remained stable or reduced more slowly during 2020-2024 compared to the overall study population. Among current vapers, daily vaping increased more rapidly in rural youth.
Conclusion(s): In this cross-sectional study of US youth, although the prevalence of current use declined during 2020-2024, the youth vaping population may have hardened over this period, evidenced by increasing daily use, more unsuccessful quit attempts and shifting demographic and behavioral health profiles. Clinicians and policymakers should be mindful that youth with frequent vaping increasingly face unique challenges that may impact treatment and prevention efforts.
