Kentucky Ranks 7th in U.S. for Underage Vaping
State Implements New Law in 2025 to Curb Youth E-Cigarette Use
A recent study conducted by The Freedom Center, a Maryland-based addiction treatment facility, has identified Kentucky as the seventh-largest underage vaping hotspot in the United States. The study analyzed data from the American Lung Association, Public Health Law Center, and the Center on Alcohol, Substance Use and Addiction (CASAA), revealing that 21.9% of Kentucky high school students use vapes.
The findings come after Governor Andy Beshear signed a new law in April, set to take effect on January 1, 2025, requiring all smokeless nicotine products sold in the state to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Despite federal law prohibiting the sale of all tobacco and vapor products to anyone under 21, states may choose to continue with their current minimum age law at the risk of losing federal funding.
The study also found that Kentucky’s Clean Indoor Air Act has not been amended to prohibit the use of vape products where smoking is also prohibited. Nicholas Bellofatto from The Freedom Center emphasized the need for stricter regulations to protect teens, stating, “Although states are making progress with various laws designed to reduce youth e-cigarette use, we can see from this top ten list that something clearly isn’t working.”
The top 10 states with the highest rates of high school e-cigarette use are:
| Rank | State | High School E-Cigarette Use Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | 27.5% |
| 2 | Alaska | 26.1% |
| 3 | Montana | 25.5% |
| 3 | Louisiana | 25.5% |
| 4 | New Mexico | 25.4% |
| 5 | Wyoming | 24.2% |
| 6 | North Carolina | 23.8% |
| 7 | Kentucky | 21.9% |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 21.7% |
| 9 | New Jersey | 21.6% |
| 10 | Oregon | 21.4% |
As Kentucky takes steps to address the underage vaping epidemic through new legislation, the study’s findings underscore the urgent need for effective interventions and policies to protect youth from the dangers of e-cigarette use.
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