ATLANTA (Michigan News Source) – A study reported by the CDC found that overall e-cigarette monthly unit sales increased by nearly 50% from January of 2020 to December of 2022, up to 22.7 million units. During the study period, the number of brands manufacturing e-cigarette products also increased by nearly 50%.

MORE NEWS: Train Crash Kills One in Kalamazoo

“The dramatic spikes in youth e-cigarette use back in 2017 and 2018, primarily driven by JUUL, showed us how quickly e-cigarette sales and use patterns can change,” said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. “Retail sales data are key to providing real-time information on the rapidly changing e-cigarette landscape, which is essential to reducing youth tobacco use.”

For purposes of the study, “retail sales” included sales from brick-and-mortar retailers only and did not include purchase age or sales data from tobacco-specialty stores such as vape shops or internet retailers. JUUL remained above the top-selling brands, joined by Vuse, Elf Bar, NJOY, and Breeze Smoke.

While sales of tobacco and mint-flavored products decreased slightly, sales of “youth-appealing flavors”—such as candy, fruit, and desserts—increased about 12%.

According to data from OK2SAY, Michigan’s student safety program, 1 in 2 high school students report they’ve tried vaping, while 1 out of 5 say they currently vape and 1 out of 4 say they use a tobacco product.

“The tobacco industry is well aware that flavors appeal to and attract kids, and that young people are uniquely vulnerable to nicotine addiction,” said Robin Koval, CEO and President of Truth Initiative. “…We all must work with even greater urgency to protect our nation’s youth from all flavored e-cigarettes, including disposables.”