The National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Lab has developed the Evidence-Based Resource Guide Series focused on the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders and mental illnesses. With this guide, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’s goal is to inform school administrators, community leaders, educators, parents, policy makers, and others of the rising rates of vaping among youth and the need for targeted prevention programs and policies, as well as a comprehensive vaping reduction strategy. Vaping among youth is a serious public health issue. In the past decade, vaping has increased among all age and demographic groups and is more popular than traditional cigarettes among high school students. According to the joint Food and Drug Administration/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey, 28 percent of high school students and 11 percent of middle school students reported using e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days. E-cigarette use among teens doubled from 2017 to 2019.1 Adverse health events have heightened the short- and long-term risks associated with vaping and the need for prevention efforts. This guide discusses effective programs and policies to prevent vaping among youth and young adults, challenges to reducing e-cigarette use and vaping, and program and policy implementation strategies that can be used to address those challenges. I encourage you to use this guide to identify prevention programs and policies you can implement to address vaping among youth in your communities.
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