Vaping Among Teens

In 2018 and 2021, about 1 out of every 10 King County teens in grades 8, 10, and 12 had used an e-cigarette at least once in the past month (10.8%). E-cigarettes come in a variety of single use and refillable designs commonly referred to as vapor products. All vapor products are battery operated devices used to inhale a vaporized liquid solution. Most vaping products used today include nicotine, often in very high doses. The younger nicotine use begins, the more likely a user is to become addicted, and nicotine use during adolescence may have long-lasting impacts on brain function. Vaping and e-cigarettes are harmful to health and are especially unsafe for youth and young adults.  Additionally, the long-term health effects of vaping are still unknown.    

• Trends: Teen e-cigarette or vaping rates have changed rapidly over the years. Rates of e-cigarette use among teens increased substantially from 2012 to 2018, and recently decreased in 2021.  In 2012, 3.0% of King County teens reported e-cigarette or vaping use, escalating to 16.8% by 2018 and decreasing by more than half to 7.6% in 2021. Similar trends were seen across grade level, regions, and many race and ethnicity groups. Vaping should continue to be monitored given the many changes teens have experienced in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation strategies.    

• Grade level: Vaping became more common as grade level increased. 4.6% of 8th graders, 10.0% of 10th graders, and 17.2% of 12th graders had vaped in the past month.   

• Sexual orientation: Teens who identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB+) were more likely to use e-cigarettes (14.1%) than King County average (10.8%).    

• Race and ethnicity: Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (15.2%) and white (13.0%) teens had higher rates of vaping than the King County average. Black (8.6%) and Asian (5.6%) teens were less likely to vape than the county average. Rates varied by Asian ethnic group. Teens identifying as Chinese (5.4%), Indian (3.7%) and Vietnamese (5.6%) had lower rates of vaping than the King County average, and teens identifying as Cambodian/Khmer (10.0%), Filipino (12.6%), Japanese (10.6%), Korean (8.3%), had rates similar to the King County average.  

Additional resources:  

• Infographic: Youth Vapor and E-Cigarette Use in King County   

• Tobacco and Vapor Prevention (Public Health Seattle and King County)  

• Teen cigarette smoking  

• Adult e-cigarette/vape use  

Notes & Sources

Source: Healthy Youth Survey. Unless otherwise noted, data are from 2018-2021.

Every 2 years, Washington public school students in 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades students answer questions about safety and violence, physical activity and diet, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, and related risk and protective factors. To learn more about the survey, please go to https://www.doh.wa.gov/DataandStatisticalReports/DataSystems/HealthyYouthSurvey 

Numerator: Students who answered more than “0 days” to the question: "During the past 30 days, on how many days did you use an electronic cigarette, also called e-cigs, or vape pens?” 

Denominator: All students who answered the question. 

To learn more about the Healthy Youth Survey and view the data biography, click here.