Bans of Flavored E-Cigarettes May Have Shifted Some to Traditional Smoking

Young adults and youth may have increased cigarette use

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Statewide comprehensive flavor bans on flavored electronic cigarettes may have had unintended consequences by encouraging substitution toward traditional smoking in some populations, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Health Economics.

Henry Saffer, Ph.D., from the National Bureau of Economic Research in New York City, and colleagues examined the effects of statewide comprehensive bans on flavored e-cigarettes on e-cigarette use and potential spillovers into other tobacco use by youth, young adults, and adults. The analysis included four national datasets: the combined high school, state Youth Risk Behavior Survey; the Monitoring the Future survey; the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; and the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study.

The researchers found evidence that as a result of the bans, young adults decreased their use of e-cigarettes by about 2 to 3 percentage points, while increasing cigarette use. There was some suggestive evidence of youth increasing cigarette use, though these results were undermined by pre-trend differences between treatment and control units. For adults aged 25 years and older, the bans had no effect on e-cigarette and smoking participation.

“Although the bans aim to curb youth initiation into nicotine use, the findings suggest a troubling substitution effect that could undermine broader tobacco control efforts,” Saffer said in a statement.

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