Anti-Tobacco Organizations Continue to Push False Youth Vaping Narrative in the Roughrider State

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Key Points:

• Youth Summit Messaging: Tobacco Free North Dakota and public health groups are hosting the 7th annual Break Free Youth Action Summit on October 7–8 to promote a “tobacco-free generation.” Despite good intentions, the events continue to push the false “youth vaping epidemic” narrative.

• Reality Check: Youth vaping in North Dakota has dropped sharply. In 2023, 18.2 percent of high schoolers vaped – down from 33.1 percent in 2019, a 45 percent decline. Ever-use also fell 40.2 percent in the same period.

• Youth Smoking Collapse: Cigarette use among high schoolers is at historic lows. Just 5.4 percent currently smoke, compared to 19 percent in 2013 – a 71.6 percent decline. Ever-use fell by more than half.

• Substance Use Context: Youth alcohol and marijuana use now exceed vaping rates. In 2023, 19.5 percent drank alcohol, 11.4 percent used marijuana, and 10.3 percent binge drank – yet these behaviors attract less alarmism.

• Adult Data Ignored: In 2023, 13.4 percent of adults smoked while 9.3 percent vaped – an 8.1 percent rise in smoking and 3.3 percent increase in vaping from 2022. Adult vaping has surged 158 percent since 2016, as many use e-cigarettes to stay smoke-free.

• Generational Shift: Smoking among North Dakota young adults (18–24) has plummeted 72 percent since 2007, coinciding with the rise of e-cigarettes.

• Population Perspective: There are far more adults than youth who vape – about 55,700 adults vs. 6,370 high schoolers in 2023, or roughly 8 adults for every teen.

• Policy Implications: Youth prevention is important, but fear-based campaigns distort data and risk restricting adult access to tobacco harm reduction products.

• Bottom Line: Nationally and in North Dakota, youth vaping is at a 10-year low, while adult smokers are successfully switching to safer alternatives. Lawmakers should focus on facts – not Bloomberg-funded fear tactics – to advance public health.

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Anti-tobacco organizations continue to push the false “youth vaping epidemic” narrative in North Dakota. On October 7 and 8, Tobacco Free North Dakota and local public health groups will host the 7th annual Break Free Youth Action Summit, aiming to inspire a “tobacco-free generation.”

While addressing youth use of age-restricted products is laudable, coverage surrounding the summit continues to focus on the supposed “youth vaping” crisis – despite clear evidence in both North Dakota and nationwide that teen e-cigarette use has significantly declined. Policymakers should be cautious, as more than 55,000 North Dakota adults were vaping in 2023, and their voices – and stories – should be recognized when crafting policies regulating alternatives to cigarettes.

Both events are designed to educate youth about “tobacco prevention history” and the “importance of amplifying the youth voice” in prevention initiatives. Organizers are encouraging “North Dakota youth and young people … who are passionate about making positive impacts … to prevent the next generation from a lifelong addiction to nicotine.”

While a worthy goal, events built on the premise of a “youth vaping epidemic” ignore state and national data showing that youth vaping has sharply declined.

According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, in 2023, 31.6 percent of North Dakota high school students had ever tried an e-cigarette, while 18.2 percent were currently vaping – defined as using the product at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey. Although these figures are higher than adult vaping rates, they represent major declines from 2019, when youth vaping peaked and 52.8 percent of students had ever tried an e-cigarette and 33.1 percent were current users. Between 2019 and 2023, ever-use among high schoolers decreased by 40.2 percent, while current use dropped by 45 percent.

Youth use of traditional tobacco products is also at historic lows. In 2023, 20.1 percent of North Dakota high schoolers had ever tried a combustible cigarette, while only 5.4 percent were currently smoking – the lowest rates ever recorded and a major public health win. A decade earlier, in 2013, 41.4 percent of high school students had tried smoking, and 19 percent were current smokers. Over ten years, ever-use fell 51.5 percent, and current use declined by a staggering 71.6 percent.

Meanwhile, youth use of other substances does not receive the same alarmism or threats to adult access. In 2023, 19.5 percent of North Dakota high school students were current alcohol drinkers (compared to 18.2 percent currently vaping), 11.4 percent were currently using marijuana, and 10.3 percent reported binge drinking – nearly double the 6 percent who reported daily vaping.

Despite these declines, events like the Break Free Summit often drive policies that restrict adult access to tobacco harm reduction (THR) products – which can have real consequences for smoking rates in the Roughrider State.

According to the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, in 2023, 13.4 percent of North Dakota adults aged 18 or older were current smokers, while 9.3 percent were current vapers. Between 2022 and 2023, adult smoking increased by 8.1 percent, while vaping rose by 3.3 percent during the same period.

Adult vaping, however, has surged over the long term – with many adults using e-cigarettes to remain smoke-free. Between 2016 and 2023, the share of North Dakota adults who vaped increased 158.3 percent, from 3.6 percent to 9.3 percent. Moreover, North Dakota adults vape at higher rates than the national average.

Policymakers should be wary of enacting measures that limit adult access to e-cigarettes and other harm reduction tools. The introduction of these products correlates with steep declines in young adult smoking rates. When e-cigarettes first entered the U.S. market in 2007, 30.3 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds in North Dakota were smokers. By 2023, that figure had fallen 72 percent. Comparatively, among all adults, smoking rates declined 35.9 percent over the same period.

It’s also important to note that there are far more adults than youth who vape in North Dakota. In 2023, approximately 6,370 high school students were vaping compared to 55,725 adults aged 18 and over – meaning more than eight adults vaped for every one high schooler.

Policymakers should be skeptical of youth-oriented campaigns that distort the data. According to the CDC, youth vaping nationwide has fallen to a 10-year low, while rates continue to decline among North Dakota high schoolers and smoking remains at record lows. While it’s important to monitor youth use, policymakers should focus on factual data – not fear-based messaging from Bloomberg-funded organizations that seek to limit adult access to life-saving harm reduction products.

Nothing in this analysis is intended to influence the passage of legislation, and it does not necessarily represent the views of Tobacco Harm Reduction 101.