Report highlights rise in consumption of flavored puffs and menthol vaping products in the United States

The second report of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)[1] on sales and advertising of vaping products nationwide (United States) shows that sales of flavored disposable e-cigarettes (puffs) and menthol vaping products increased significantly in 2020.

This increase coincides with a federal ban on flavored cartridges. The rise in consumption of these products, popular among young smokers, suggests that their use of e-cigarettes has shifted to substitute products rather than declining. The report also reveals a sharp increase in the distribution of free or discounted e-cigarettes.

Consumption shift to menthol and flavored puffs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of flavored cartridges/pods in 2020, but excluded menthol from the ban. Sales of mint and menthol cartridges increased from 36.9 % in 2018 to 60.8 % in 2019 and 63.5 % in 2020. Sales of mint and menthol disposables also increased: from 27.2 % in 2018 to 29.7 % in 2019 and 36.9 % in 2020.

Although puff sales overall declined in value, from $69.3 million in 2019 to $59.3 million in 2020, the FTC expressed concern about the growing popularity of these products. Puffs have also benefited from loopholes in FDA regulations. They continue to be available in a wide variety of flavors, popular with young people. The FTC notes that the data in this report reflects puff manufacturers' disclosures for 2019 and 2020. Since then, many new manufacturers have entered the market, resulting in a significant increase in sales of disposable e-cigarettes. National survey data indicate an increase of more than 1,000 % in the use of disposable e-cigarettes among youth from 2019 to 2020. In light of the popularity of puffs among youth, the Truth Initiative denounced the FDA's inaction and warned of the importance of new nicotine products being put on the market, associated with flavors and aromas likely to appeal to adolescents.[2].

In December 2020, fruity and sweet flavored puffs accounted for 77.6 billion of disposable products sold. Mint/menthol flavored puffs accounted for 14.8 billion, and tobacco flavored puffs accounted for only 7.6 billion of the disposable e-cigarette market. A Chicago-based market research firm (IRI) recently revealed that U.S. consumers spent more than $2 billion on disposable e-cigarettes in 2021.[3].

Increased investment in e-cigarette marketing

Vaping product manufacturers spent over $1.7 billion on marketing in 2019 and 2020 in the United States to promote their products across all media. Particular emphasis was placed on point-of-sale and social media advertising.

Data collected for 2019-20 also indicate a doubling in two years of marketing spending on sample distribution, free product distribution, and discounted sales. These promotional practices topped manufacturers' marketing spending in 2020 (47%). The Food and Drug Administration banned tobacco product sampling in 2016 to limit youth access to these products. Some companies then began selling individual products at a discount, offering $ (or even less) per e-cigarette to circumvent the measure.

Thus, devices sold at 1 $ or less (alone or with cartridges) increased from 7.6 % of devices sold or given away in 2018 (2.3 million devices) to 23.8 % in 2019 (8.1 million devices) and 63.9 % in 2020 (13.4 million devices).

Keywords: United States, Federal Trade Commission, vaping, puffs, e-cigarette, flavors, menthol

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[1] Press release, FTC Report Highlights Dramatic Surge in Sale of Flavored Disposable E-Cigarettes and Menthol E-Cigarette Cartridges, Federal Trade Commission, published August 31, 2022, accessed September 2, 2022

[2] Elf Bar, Hyde, and Breeze – what you need to know about the rise in disposable e-cigarettes, Truth Initiative, published August 17, 2022, accessed September 2, 2022

[3] Tobacco-free generation, FDA's Partial Flavor Ban Benefits Disposable E-Cigarettes, published August 22, 2022, accessed September 2, 2022