E-Cigarette Product Sales in US Jump as Disposable, Sweet Choices Grow

The number of e-cigarette products sold in the US increased 47% over almost three years ending in December 2022, a study found, amid a proliferation of flavored options that often appeal to younger people.

(Bloomberg) — The number of e-cigarette products sold in the US increased 47% over almost three years ending in December 2022, a study found, amid a proliferation of flavored options that often appeal to younger people.

Sales of pre-filled cartridges, disposable e-cigarettes and e-liquids increased to 22.7 million units from 15.5 million over the period, according to the analysis released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cartridges lost market share while disposable e-cigarettes increased to over half of all sales, up from about a quarter.

While cigarette smoking has fallen in recent years, overall tobacco use has remained high as alternatives like e-cigarettes and vapes grow in popularity. Activists and regulators have taken aim at manufacturers of the new products, pointing out their popularity among young people and accusing them of deliberately targeting the youth market.

Restricting flavored tobacco products could help reduce the number of young people who start using tobacco, wrote the researchers from the CDC, the independent, nonprofit CDC Foundation and the Truth Foundation, which aims to reduce tobacco use in young people. Sweet and alcoholic flavors other than mint, menthol and traditional tobacco became more popular in recent years, making up 41% of the market by December 2022.

E-cigarette sales rose fastest in the first half of 2020, then declined 12% from May to December 2022. The decrease may be due in part to disposable devices lasting longer, the researchers wrote, as well as supply chain disruptions, economic inflation and increased restrictions on the products.

Vuse, JUUL, Elf Bar, NJOY and Breeze Smoke were the best-selling e-cigarette brands in late 2022, the study found. The study was published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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