Nearly 90% of teens admit vaping; China’s role raises concerns

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - More than 89% of middle and high school students admit to using vapes. These numbers come from the CDC’s National Youth Tobacco Survey released on Nov. 3, 2023.

This report says teens use disposable flavored vapes the most. In February 2020 the FDA banned fruity-flavored vapes, like blue raspberry or cotton candy.

However, it is now believed that many of these vapes are coming from China, showing the FDA’s inability to crack down.

Jim Carroll a former White House director of National Drug Control Policy says the ‘Chinese drug cartel,’ bring these vapes to the US. We could not confirm it is the ‘Chinese Drug Cartel,’ but an AP News story in June says many vapes come from China.

“The DEA has told us, they started reporting that fentanyl, the drug that is killing so many people across the country, not just in South Dakota, but everywhere, is now in these illegal disposable vapes,” says Carroll.

Here’s some good news though, the CDC report says in 2023 10% of teens use vapes daily, down from 14.1% in 2022.

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