OBJECTIVES: Adolescent e-cigarette use in the United States has become a major public health concern, prompting interventions to curb youth vaping, such as age restrictions. However, these measures face challenges. A comprehensive understanding of e-cigarette prevalence among adolescents is crucial for developing effective policies. This study investigates e-cigarette use among high school students in Georgia in 2019 and 2021, analyzing variations across demographics.

METHODS: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data from 2019 and 2021 were utilized. Participants included 9th to 12th-grade students in randomly selected Georgia public schools. Key outcome variables comprised ever-used e-cigarettes, current use, device types, substance types, and sources of e-cigarette access. Descriptive analyses characterized demographics and e-cigarette behaviors, and Chi-square tests explored associations, with survey weights applied.

RESULTS: The pooled sample consisted of 5089 participants, with 29.2% belonging to the most prevalent age group of 15-year-olds, and 50.68% being females. Non-Hispanic African American (40.10%) and non-Hispanic White (35.5%) participants constituted the majority. E-cigarette use prevalence witnessed a 6.3% decline, from 42.31% in 2019 to 35.96% in 2021. The predominant e-cigarette types and substances were refillable tanks (20.14 %) and nicotine (17.16%). In 2019, significant variations in usage and current use were observed across age, race, and grade, while these differences were statistically insignificant in 2021. Gender also exhibited no statistical significance in both years.

CONCLUSIONS: This analysis underscores the need for continuous surveillance and in-depth research into the escalating use of e-cigarettes among specific adolescent groups based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, and grade level. This study emphasized the critical need for informed interventions. As e-cigarette usage prevalence persists and evolves among high school students in Georgia, sustained efforts in monitoring and understanding these patterns remain imperative to formulate effective strategies that safeguard adolescent health and well-being.