Flavoured marijuana vaping is exponentially rising among US teens and it has now become the most common form of vaping among youngsters.
A University of Michigan survey, called Monitoring the Future, tracked drug attitudes among over 54,000 8th, 10th, and 12th graders from 2021 to 2024.
Results indicated that more teens are vaping marijuana overall — and most now choose flavoured versions.
Teens in eight grade who vaped marijuana, flavoured use have now skyrocketed from 47% to 63%.
Meanwhile, individuals in 10th grade rose from 41% to 53% and the 12th graders flavoured use jumped from 36% to 50%.
Researchers stated that flavoured vaping is captivating youngsters due to its fruit-like taste, they are odourless, and it’s much easier to hide it from adults.
According to the principal investigator, it’s one of the few drug trends to significantly increase since the COVID pandemic.
The principal stated, “Many people may not realize that more adolescents meet the criteria for cannabis use disorder than for alcohol use disorder, with 5% affected by cannabis compared to 3% for alcohol."
Restricting flavours is a quick solution; however, researchers warned against its increasing use. Teens could simply switch to unflavoured products or traditional smoking.
Instead, they point to a different strategy: minimising demand through stronger policies, education campaigns, and prevention programs.
