Notes from the Field: Electronic Cigarette Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2011–2012

September 6, 2013 / Vol. 62 / No. 35

MMWR Highlights

Ever use of electronic cigarettes

• During 2011–2012, ever use of e-cigarettes among all students increased from 3.1% to 6.8%, an estimated 1.78 million students.
• During 2011–2012, ever use of e-cigarettes among high school students increased from 4.5% to 10.0%.
• During 2011–2012, ever use of e-cigarettes among middle school students increase from 1.3% to 2.7%.
• This represents 151,536 additional calls, or a 75% increase, above what would have occurred had call volume continued at its weekly average for the four weeks preceding the campaign.
• Call volume during the six weeks in which the national ads were not airing was 38% lower than the six weeks when the ads were airing.
  
  

Current use of electronic cigarettes

• During 2011–2012, current use of e-cigarettes among all students increased from 1.0% to 2.1%.
• During 2011–2012, current use of e-cigarettes among high school students increased from 1.4% to 2.8%..
• During 2011–2012, current use of e-cigarettes among middle school students increased from 0.5% to 1.1%.
  
  

Use of electronic cigarettes and traditional cigarettes

• In 2012, 9.3% of all students who ever used e-cigarettes said they had never smoked conventional cigarettes.
• In 2012, 7.2% of high school students who ever used e-cigarettes said they had never smoked conventional cigarettes.
• In 2012, 20.3% of middle school students who ever used e-cigarettes said they had never smoked conventional cigarettes.
• In 2012, 76.3% of all students who were current e-cigarette users said they also smoked conventional cigarettes.
• In 2012, 80.5% of all high school students who were current e-cigarette users said they also smoked conventional cigarettes.
• In 2012, 61.1% of all middle school students who were current e-cigarette users said they also smoked conventional cigarettes.