A new report on e-cigarette sales data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows there has been a significant increase vaping over the last six years in America. Some reports claim that Juul seizures are caused by vaping.

Between fall 2014 and spring 2020, e-cigarette sales increased by 122.2% across the nation, according to the statistics revealed September 18. One of the key types of vaping products to enter the marketplace during that time is flavored e-cigarette pods – the cartridges that either come pre-loaded in disposable devices or are sold separately and used in repeat-use electronic cigarettes. In both cases, flavored vape liquid has attracted a huge following, most notably among underaged users.

The report is based on retail sales data collected by tracking Universal Product Code scans at convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, drugstores, mass merchandiser outlets and club stores, among others, the CDC said. Internet sales and vape shop sales were not included.

“Continued monitoring of e-cigarette sales and use is critical to inform strategies to minimize risks,” the CDC said in unveiling the report. “As part of a comprehensive approach, such strategies could include those that address youth-appealing product innovations and flavors.”

E-Cigarette Sales Data Points to Trends

Released as part of the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the research was compiled to assess e-cigarette sales data trends in terms of the types of products and the flavors that have become the most popular. The CDC, the CDC Foundation and the nonprofit Truth Initiative collaborated on the review, which studied retail scanner data from sales made between Sept. 14, 2014 and May 17, 2020. The information came from the market research and analytics firm Information Resources, Inc.

E-cigarette sales overall jumped from 7.7 million to 17.1 million units per month, the data showed.

The share of total e-cigarette sales that came from users buying pre-filled vape cartridge products nearly doubled between 2014 and 2019, from 47.5% of the sales to 89.4%. Between 2019 and 2020, the percentage ticked down to a little more than 80% while the percentage of disposable e-cigarettes just about doubled, from 10.3% to 19.8% during that same time frame.

Flavors Soared in Popularity

Among the more striking trends highlight by the e-cigarette sales statistics deals with the popularity of flavored vaping.

In 2014, less than 1% of all pre-packaged vape pods were mint flavored. By 2019, mint vape pods made up nearly 48% of sales, the report said.

When it came to disposable e-cigarettes, the changes were even more extreme. At the beginning of the study period in 2014, more than 52% of disposables sold were tobacco-flavored and about 48% were either mint, menthol or other flavors – usually fruity, sweet or spiced. By the end of the study in May 2020, more than 83% of sales were for flavored disposable cigarettes, the CDC report said, and of those, the “other flavors” comprised 62% of the market.

Data Shows Dip in Youth Vaping

The study’s e-cigarette sales data came out just as the CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration released the results of the 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey, which offered strong evidence that efforts to curb teenage vaping are paying off. According to the survey, 1.8 million fewer middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes this year than in 2019 – a more than 25% decrease.

The National Youth Tobacco Survey is a self-administered survey of American middle school and high school students. This year it was conducted between January and March.

Health officials and experts have been raising concerns about the risks of vaping and the ballooning number of teenagers taking up the habit for several years. In 2018 the U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams and U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared it an epidemic

The National Youth Tobacco Survey says multiple factors have contributed to the increase in teen vaping, most notably the introduction of kid friendly flavored vape pods and other product innovations, such as the disposable e-cigarettes.

Health Concerns Spawn Class Action Lawsuits, Regulations

Numerous consumers, health organizations and local and state governments have targeted e-cigarette use and the vaping industry by filing class action lawsuits and individual lawsuits and issuing bans on the products.

Washington and Arizona filed lawsuits against JUUL, the industry’s biggest manufacturer, this year over its marketing strategy, saying the company unlawfully pursues underage users. And an Arizona high school filed a similar lawsuit against JUUL in federal court in California, drawing parallels between the company’s strategy and that of Big Tobacco.

JUUL has denied targeting teenagers and said it stopped advertising its flavored vape pods in response to public concerns they are especially popular with kids.

Class action lawsuits have also been proposed by plaintiffs who claim the e-cigarettes and vape pods caused health problems.

Join a Free JUUL E-Cigarette Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or your child suffered seizures after vaping with a JUUL e-cigarette, you may benefit from participating in a free JUUL class action lawsuit investigation.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented 
for informational purposes only.