Exploring Adolescents’ Response to the 2020 FDA Flavor E-Cigarette Ban: Usage and Cessation Outcomes

<span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 2020 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) flavored e-cigarette ban was implemented to reduce adolescent vaping, particularly by restricting flavored electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), which are a key factor in youth initiation. This study used data from the&nbsp; 2017-2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) to explore the ban's impact on adolescent e-cigarette use by examining demographics, adolescent (aged 11 to 18) usage rates, reasons for use, and cessation attempts. The analysis finds that overall e-cigarette use declined after the ban, and flavor-related reasons for use significantly decreased. However, intentions to quit remained largely unchanged, while personal and psychological factors such as stress relief increased as reasons for continued use. Accessibility and affordability were identified as persistent barriers, with fewer adolescents citing affordability-related reasons for using post-ban. The findings suggest that while the ban reduced youth interest in flavored e-cigarettes, personal and economic factors continue to drive vaping behaviors. This indicates that education campaigns targeting demographics and policies focused on accessibility and affordability may be necessary for sustained impact. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of the ban and explore additional policy interventions to support sustained reductions in youth vaping.</span>