Teen Vaping: The States Hit the Hardest

• West Virginia has been named as the underage vaping hotspot of America, where high school e-cigarette use is 53% higher than the national average
• Alaska ranks second, while Montana and Louisiana tie for third
• California has the LOWEST percentage of teenagers who used e-cigarettes

A new study has revealed America’s underage vaping hotspots, with West Virginia coming out on top.

Addiction treatment specialists at The Freedom Center analyzed data from the American Lung Association on youth smoking in the US to reveal which states have the highest prevalence of underage e-cigarette use. As of December 2019, federal law prohibits the sale of all tobacco and vapor products to anyone under the age of 21; however, states may choose to continue with their current minimum age law at the risk of losing federal funding.

West Virginia is the underage vaping hotspot of the US, with 27.5% of high schoolers using e-cigarettes.

In West Virginia, the use of vape products is banned in schools and on school grounds, except for those areas not used for instructional purposes and that are inaccessible to students. You must also be 18 or older to buy or use a vape.

However, West Virginia’s Clean Indoor Air Act has not been amended to prohibit the use of vapor products where smoking is also banned, and you do not need a retail license to sell e-cigarettes.

The state also has the second-highest rates of both high school smoking at 7.6% and high school tobacco use at 27%.

Alaska is second, where approximately 26.1% of teenagers vape.

You must be 19 or over to lawfully purchase and/or use a vape in Alaska, except for e-cigarettes approved by the FDA and used under medical supervision for smoking cessation purposes, or if a pharmacist provides it to a person over 18 years old without a prescription.

Although the law has been amended to prohibit the use of vape products where smoking is also banned, Alaska has both the highest high school smoking rates and high school tobacco use rates in the US, at 8.4% and 33.7% respectively.

Tied for third are Montana and Louisiana, where 25.5% of high school students use e-cigarettes.

In Montana, you must be 18 or over to use or buy a vape product and a retail license or permit is required to sell e-cigarettes.

Nevertheless, Montana’s Clean Indoor Air Act has not been amended to prohibit the use of vapor products where smoking is also prohibited, and the state has the second-highest high school tobacco use rate alongside West Virginia at 27%.

Louisiana has slightly different laws; you must be 21 or older to purchase an e-cigarette, and the possession of vapor products by persons under the age of 21 is prohibited unless accompanied by a parent or in a private residence.

Although carrying or using a vape is prohibited on any school property, the state has the third-highest high school smoking rate at 7%.

New Mexico is a close fourth; 25.4% of teenagers use a vape.

New Mexico has some of the strictest laws around underage vaping of the states featured in the top ten. For example, manufacturers shouldn’t make, and distributors or retailers shouldn’t sell, any tobacco products that are clearly appealing to minors, and nicotine liquid must be sold in child-resistant containers.

Although the high school smoking rate is low at just 3.7%, New Mexico also has the fourth-highest high school tobacco use rate at 25.6%.

In fifth is Wyoming, with 24.2% of high schoolers using e-cigarettes.

In Wyoming, you must be 21 or over to purchase and/or use a vape, and e-liquid containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging.

Wyoming’s Clean Indoor Air Act has not been amended to prohibit the use of vapor products where smoking is also banned. Only the municipalities of Cheyenne and Laramie have introduced this ordinance.

Sixth is North Carolina, where 23.8% of youths vape.

Starting May 1, 2025, only vape products listed on the Department of Revenue’s registry can be sold in North Carolina. Sellers will have a 60-day grace period to meet this requirement. School districts must also ban the use of tobacco and vape products on school grounds and at any school events.

Kentucky is seventh, with 21.9% of high school students using a vape.

Those under 21 cannot legally purchase or use a vape product in the state. However, Kentucky’s Clean Indoor Air Act has not been amended to prohibit the use of vapor products where smoking is also prohibited, and no retail license or permit is required to sell them.

Oklahoma ranks eighth, where approximately 21.7% of teenagers use an e-cigarette.

In Oklahoma, the use of vape products is prohibited on school property, in school vehicles, and at school-sponsored events. Nevertheless, e-cigarettes do not have an additional state excise tax, which may make them more attractive to young people as the prices are lower.

Ninth is New Jersey; 21.6% of high schoolers vape.

In 2020, the sale of all flavored vapes except tobacco flavor was prohibited. However, the law does not ban low-risk flavored tobacco products, such as snus, and leaves flavored combustible products available, such as the flavored “little cigars,” which are also popular with young people.

In tenth is Oregon, with 21.4% of teenagers using e-cigarettes.

Vaping is not allowed in public places, workplaces or within 10 feet of doors, windows, or ventilation systems of enclosed areas. In October 2019, a ban on vape flavors began, but two days later, a state appeals court issued an injunction that allowed the sale of non-THC vape products to continue. This means that while flavored vapes with THC were restricted, non-THC vape flavors were still available despite the original ban.

America’s top 10 underage vaping hotspots

Commenting on the findings, Nicholas Bellofatto, Director of Admissions for The Freedom Center said: “With many teens turning to vaping, we must prioritize their health and advocate for stricter regulations to protect them.

“Although states are making progress with various laws designed to reduce youth e-cigarette use, we can see from this top ten list that something clearly isn’t working.

“It’s up to us to figure out why these hotspots exist and decide what we can do to curb the underage vaping pandemic before the damage to our young people becomes irreversible.”

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