Definition

__Youth experimentation with electronic cigarettes:__ percentage of students in grades 8, 10, 12 who have used electronic cigarettes in their lifetime. __Current use of electronic cigarettes among youth:__ percentage of students in grades 8, 10, 12 who have used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days. __Current use of electronic cigarettes among adults:__ percentage of adults (age 18+) who currently use electronic cigarettes every day or some days.

Numerator

__Youth experimentation with electronic cigarettes:__ number of students in grades 8, 10, and 12 who have used electronic cigarettes in their lifetime. __Current use of electronic cigarettes among youth:__ number of students in grades 8, 10, and 12 who have used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days. __Current use of electronic cigarettes among adults:__ number of adults (age 18+) who currently use electronic cigarettes every day or some days.

Denominator

__Experimentation and current use of electronic cigarettes among youth:__ number of all students in grades 8, 10, and 12 surveyed. __Current use of electronic cigarettes among adults:__ number of adults (age 18+)

Data Interpretation Issues

The Prevention Needs Assessment (PNA) is the main component of Utah's School Health And Risk Prevention (SHARP) survey project. It is conducted in odd years with Utah students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey is conducted with a representative sample of non-institutionalized Utah adults living in households with a landline telephone. In 2010, the BRFSS added cell phone interviews to the survey protocol and introduced a new weighting methodology that better represents populations of low socioeconomic status. More details about these changes can be found at: [https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/pdf/opha/resource/brfss/RakingImpact2011.pdf]. Due to these changes survey results from the years before 2010 are not comparable to results observed in 2010 or later. The 2010 estimated adult smoking rate was higher compared to rates from previous years that were based on post-stratification by age, sex, and local health district. As with all telephone surveys, data may be subject to error as resulting from non-coverage (e.g., lower telephone coverage among some low SES populations), non-response (e.g., refusal to participate in the survey or answer specific questions), or measurement (e.g. social desirability or recall bias). Interviewer training and monitoring and strict adherence to good survey research protocols reduce error from these sources.

Why Is This Important?

Electronic cigarettes or vape products are battery-powered devices that turn liquids into aerosol. They are marketed under a variety of different names but are most commonly referred to as electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vape products, mods, or tanks. They may also be known by their brand names (e.g. JUUL, Vuse, Suorin, MarkTen, Blu, Puff Bar). The liquids frequently contain nicotine and flavors. Since 2011, Utah has seen a sharp increase in vape product experimentation and use among youth and young adults. Given the uncertain public health impact of vaping and the potential for increasing nicotine addiction among young people, monitoring the use of vape products and enforcing and strengthening policies that regulate youth access are public health priorities for Utah.

Other Objectives

Currently, Healthy People 2020 does not list a specific objective related to electronic cigarettes. TU-3 focuses on reducing the initiation of tobacco use among children, adolescents, and young adults.

How Are We Doing?

From 2017 to 2021, the percentage of Utah high school students who reported e-cigarette or vape product use increased from 7.6% to 9.7% (Utah YRBS). In 2023, 5.7% of Utah high school students reported vaping in the past 30 days.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

In 2023, 5.7% of Utah high school students reported using e-cigarettes or vape products in the past 30 days (Utah YRBS). In comparison, 10.0% of U.S. high school students reported using e-cigarettes or vape products in the past 30 days (National Youth Tobacco Survey 2023).

What Is Being Done?

To limit youth access to vape products and regulate the contents of these products, Utah law requires that tobacco retailers are licensed through the Utah Tax Commission to sell electronic cigarettes and other vape products. The sale of vape products to those younger than 21 years is prohibited. Most flavored products can only be sold in tobacco retail specialty stores and further restrictions were passed during Utah's 2024 legislative session. Since vape products are included in the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act, vaping in indoor public places is prohibited. These measures are intended to reduce youth vaping and nicotine addiction.

Available Services

For services and information on tobacco use and quitting, visit Utah's online tobacco cessation website, [http://waytoquit.org waytoquit.org], or call the Utah Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW. Utah quit services include the teen tobacco cessation program My Life My Quit [http://ut.mylifemyquit.org/].

Health Program Information

Tobacco and vape industry claims that e-cigarettes are effective smoking cessation tools have not been verified by research studies. For information on quitting tobacco use with proven methods, visit [http://waytoquit.org waytoquit.org] or call the Utah Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW. To receive more information about the health effects of vaping, addiction, and quitting visit [https://seethroughthevape.org/].

Data Notes

Experimentation is defined as "ever tried"; current use is defined as use in the past 30 days. In 2023, the survey questions were revised to ask about nicotine and marijuana vaping separately. The 2023 vaping data presented here is for students who responded that they vaped either nicotine or marijuana, or both substances.

Data Source

Prevention Needs Assessment Survey

Data Notes

Source: Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) [https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/query/builder/yrbs/ElecVapor/ElecVapor.html] [[br]][[br]]*Use caution in interpreting, the estimate has a relative standard error greater than 30% and does not meet DHHS standards for reliability.

Data Source

Utah Department of Health and Human Services Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)

Data Notes

Current use is defined as use in currently using "every day" or "some days."[[br]]

Data Source

Utah Department of Health and Human Services Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) [https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/query/selection/brfss/BRFSSSelection.html]

Data Notes

Current use is defined as use in the past 30 days. *For San Juan County Local Health District: Use caution in interpreting, the estimate has a relative standard error greater than 30% and does not meet Utah DHHS standards for reliability.

Data Source

Prevention Needs Assessment Survey

Data Notes

Age-adjusted to U.S. 2000 population.[[br]] ^ ^* For San Juan, Summit, and Wasatch County Local Health Districts, the estimates have a coefficient of variation >30% and are therefore deemed unreliable by Utah Department of Health and Human Services standards.

Data Source

Utah Department of Health and Human Services Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) [https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/query/selection/brfss/BRFSSSelection.html]

Data Notes

For vape products, current use is defined as vape product use (such as e-cigarettes, vape pens, mods, or pod vapes like JUUL or Puff Bars) in the past 30 days. In 2015-2021, questions about lifetime and 30-day vaping asked about any vape product use. In 2023, the survey was revised to ask about nicotine and marijuana vaping separately. The 2023 vape data presented here is for students who responded that they vaped either nicotine or marijuana, or both substances.

Data Source

Prevention Needs Assessment Survey