Getting Kids Hooked

Alexa Addison, 19, remembers what vapes looked like when she was in high school. The dominant e-cigarette was Juul, a slim black rectangle that resembled a flash drive.

By the time Addison started college at the University of North Carolina Wilmington last year, the vape du jour had shifted. Many of her classmates were brandishing Elf Bars, brightly colored e-cigarettes with gently sloped chimneys for inhalation.

She bought flavors like piña colada and strawberry-kiwi, and snapped photos when the candy-colored devices matched her outfits. Soon she was going through an Elf Bar a week. Each one contains the nicotine of 590 cigarettes, according to one estimate. Eventually, her gums turned gray.

“They looked really pretty, honestly,” Addison says of the devices. “I just never had an interest in vaping until the pretty ones started being sold.”

About five years after Juul became many people’s mental image for the word vape, e-cigarettes are getting another facelift. The understated look associated with Juul has been edged out by the rounded, vivid designs of Elf Bars and other brands, whose colors often correspond with their flavors.

Alexa Addison, 19, remembers what vapes looked like when she was in high school. The main e-cigarette was a slim black rectangle that resembled a flash drive. It was called Juul.

By the time Addison started college at the University of North Carolina Wilmington last year, the most popular vape had shifted. Many of her classmates were using Elf Bars, brightly colored e-cigarettes with gently sloped chimneys for inhalation.

She bought flavors like piña colada and strawberry-kiwi. She took photos when the candy-colored devices matched her outfits. Soon she was using an Elf Bar a week. Each one contains the nicotine of 590 cigarettes, according to one estimate. Her gums started to turn gray.

“They looked really pretty, honestly,” Addison says of the devices. “I just never had an interest in vaping until the pretty ones started being sold.”

It has been five years since Juul became what many people picture when they hear the word vape. Now e-cigarettes are getting a facelift. The understated look associated with Juul has been changed to the rounded, vivid designs of Elf Bars and other brands. The bright colors often represent the flavors.

The rise of the trendy new vapes has health experts worried that the companies that make e-cigarettes have found yet another way to get teenagers hooked. The vaping crisis among teens has declined from its peak in 2019, but some 2 million adolescents are still using e-cigarettes, at rates far higher than adults. According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey released in November, about 1 in 10 high school students had used an e-cigarette in the past month.

Doctors say nicotine is especially addictive for young people and that teenage vapers risk both immediate and long-term lung damage. The candy- and fruit-inspired flavors and alluring packaging could steer more teens toward e-cigarettes, experts say.

“If it looks glamorous and it looks appealing, that’s going to be the first driver that will bring a horse to water,” says Brian King, the chief of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) tobacco center. “The flavors then get them to drink. And the nicotine keeps them coming back for more.”

These new trendy vapes have health experts worried. They are concerned that the e-cigarette companies have found yet another way to get teenagers hooked. The vaping crisis among teens has declined from its peak in 2019.  But some 2 million adolescents are still using e-cigarettes. That rate is far higher than it is for adults. According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey released in November, about 1 in 10 high school students had used an e-cigarette in the past month.

Doctors say nicotine is especially addictive for young people. And teenage vapers risk both immediate and long-term lung damage. The candy- and fruit-inspired flavors and attractive packaging could lead more teens toward e-cigarettes, experts say.

“If it looks glamorous and it looks appealing, that’s going to be the first driver that will bring a horse to water,” says Brian King, the chief of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) tobacco center. “The flavors then get them to drink. And the nicotine keeps them coming back for more.”

Elf Bar, which is also sold under the names EBDesign and EBCreate, hit U.S. shelves in November 2021. It has become the leading e-cigarette brand among middle and high school students who vape, according to the Youth Tobacco survey. Visually similar products abound, including Flum Pebble, Juicy Bar, Air Bar Nex, and Lost Mary.

Young people compare the appearance of these disposable e-cigarettes to candy, pacifiers, lip gloss, and soap.

“They almost look like toys,” says Carter James, 23, a music producer who lives in New York City.

Susan Linn, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, says there’s “no question” that the appearance of Elf Bars is geared to catch the eyes of adolescents and even children, who gravitate toward bright colors and rounded shapes.

Elf Bar, which is also sold under the names EBDesign and EBCreate, hit U.S. shelves in November 2021. It has become the leading e-cigarette brand among middle and high school students who vape, according to the Youth Tobacco survey. Similar products also exist, including Flum Pebble, Juicy Bar, Air Bar Nex, and Lost Mary.

Young people compare the appearance of these disposable e-cigarettes to candy, pacifiers, lip gloss, and soap.

“They almost look like toys,” says Carter James, 23, a music producer who lives in New York City.

Susan Linn, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, says there’s “no question” that the look of Elf Bars is geared to catch the eyes of adolescents and even children.  The bright colors and rounded shapes are attractive to younger consumers.

Linn compares the look of Elf Bars to Joe Camel, the cartoon character retired by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company after mounting criticism that it was targeted at children (see timeline slideshow, below). Decades later, e-cigarette brands also made visual appeals to kids: In 2018, the FDA issued warnings to companies selling nicotine products that looked like juice boxes.

“Tobacco companies use cartoons or brightly colored packaging in order to hook kids, to make kids think that this is benign, fun, and harmless,” Linn says.

Some e-cigarettes are being packaged similarly to beauty products that line the shelves at Sephora.

“It’s this small, round cutesy thing with superbright colors that looks really friendly,” says Taylor McGee, 26, a graphic designer in New York City.

Ben Varquez, the managing director of YMC, a youth-marketing agency that doesn’t work with clients in the tobacco industry, says teens are drawn to vibrant colors and playful silhouettes that stand out on social media.

If Elf Bar was trying to design a product in line with Gen Z consumer tastes, Varquez says, “they’ve absolutely nailed it.”

Linn compares the look of Elf Bars to Joe Camel, the cartoon character retired by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The company was criticized for using the character to target children (see timeline slideshow, below). Decades later, e-cigarette brands also made visual appeals to kids. In 2018, the FDA issued warnings to companies selling nicotine products that looked like juice boxes.

“Tobacco companies use cartoons or brightly colored packaging in order to hook kids, to make kids think that this is benign, fun, and harmless,” Linn says.

Some e-cigarettes are being packaged similarly to beauty products.

“It’s this small, round cutesy thing with superbright colors that looks really friendly,” says Taylor McGee, 26, a graphic designer in New York City.

Ben Varquez is the managing director of YMC, a youth-marketing agency that doesn’t work with clients in the tobacco industry. He says teens are drawn to vibrant colors and playful shapes that stand out on social media.

If Elf Bar was trying to design a product in line with Gen Z consumer tastes, Varquez says, “they’ve absolutely nailed it.”

When the FDA began regulating e-cigarettes in 2016, the goal was to draw a new line in public health: Smokers would have an alternative to traditional cigarettes, and tobacco use among minors would remain at historic lows. E-cigarette companies are frustrating that plan.

The FDA requires these companies to file applications to sell their products and to submit proof that the products can compel cigarette smokers to switch—but not attract new users. The agency has denied millions of applications but let some top-selling products remain on the market pending decisions.

Elf Bar has not been authorized by the FDA, and the agency considers it illegal. But the vapes are readily available in stores, thanks to a simple tactic: The Chinese company that makes it—iMiracle Shenzhen—keeps changing the name. The Elf Bar arrives at U.S. customs bearing a new name, such as EBCreate, before the FDA can put it on its watchlist.

When the FDA began regulating e-cigarettes in 2016, the goal was to draw a new line in public health. Smokers would have another choice besides traditional cigarettes. Tobacco use among teens would remain at historic lows. E-cigarette companies are ruining that plan.

The FDA requires these companies to file applications to sell their products. They have to submit proof that the products can help cigarette smokers switch to e-cigarettes but not attract new users. The agency has denied millions of applications. But as it reviews other applications, it has let some top-selling products remain on the market.

Elf Bar has not been authorized by the FDA. The agency considers it illegal. But the vapes are readily available in stores, because the Chinese company that makes it—iMiracle Shenzhen—keeps changing the name. The Elf Bar arrives at U.S. customs bearing a new name, such as EBCreate, before the FDA can put it on its watchlist.

“E-cigarette manufacturers have proven themselves to not operate in good faith,” Desmond Jenson, an attorney at the Public Health Law Center, told the Associated Press.

The flood of illicit e-cigarettes from China accounts for a major share of the estimated $5.5 billion e-cigarette market in the U.S. The FDA has been cracking down on vape shops and convenience stores that sell the illegal vapes, and says it’s ramping up warnings against the companies that make them.

IMiracle says it’s being unfairly targeted by the FDA and that its products, which have a black-and-white label warning that nicotine is addictive, are geared toward adults.

“Flavored e-cigarettes shouldn’t be demonized,” a company spokesperson told Reuters. “They’re not evil.”

Hoping to stave off another spike in teen addiction, lawmakers are calling for stronger action to address underage vaping. California and Massachusetts have taken matters into their own hands, barring the sale of flavored tobacco products. Other states could follow suit.

“E-cigarette manufacturers have proven themselves to not operate in good faith,” Desmond Jenson, an attorney at the Public Health Law Center, told the Associated Press.

The flood of illegal e-cigarettes from China accounts for a major share of the estimated $5.5 billion e-cigarette market in the U.S. The FDA has been cracking down on vape shops and convenience stores that sell the illegal vapes. It also says it’s issuing more warnings against the companies that make them.

IMiracle says it’s being unfairly targeted by the FDA. It claims that their products are geared toward adults. They come with a black-and-white label warning that nicotine is addictive.

“Flavored e-cigarettes shouldn’t be demonized,” a company spokesperson told Reuters. “They’re not evil.”

Hoping to stop another spike in teen addiction, lawmakers are calling for stronger action to address underage vaping. California and Massachusetts have taken matters into their own hands. They have prohibited the sale of flavored tobacco products. Other states could follow suit.

Some young people are quitting vapes with the help of groups like Truth Initiative, which coaches teens through a free text-messaging program. That’s how Karely Alcantara of Silver Spring, Maryland, kicked the habit. She started vaping as a sophomore in high school.

“I was really stressed about college applications and my grades,” Alcantara, 22, recalls. “So every time I would get anxious, I would vape.”

Before long, Alcantara was having trouble sleeping and focusing. She learned about Truth Initiative through social media and signed up. The daily texts of encouragement helped her quit, and gave her tips for how to manage her anxiety in healthier ways.

Now Alcantara works as a student ambassador for the organization and visits schools to talk to young people who want to stop using e-cigarettes.

“Reach out to someone you trust and ask for help,” she advises teens. “And know you’re not alone.”

Some young people are quitting vapes with the help of groups like Truth Initiative. It offers a free text-messaging program which coaches teens on how to quit. That’s how Karely Alcantara of Silver Spring, Maryland, kicked the habit. She started vaping as a sophomore in high school.

“I was really stressed about college applications and my grades,” Alcantara, 22, recalls. “So every time I would get anxious, I would vape.”

Before long, Alcantara was having trouble sleeping and focusing. She learned about Truth Initiative through social media and signed up. The daily texts of encouragement helped her quit. She also received tips on how to manage her anxiety in healthier ways.

Now Alcantara works as a student ambassador for the organization. She visits schools to talk to young people who want to stop using e-cigarettes.

“Reach out to someone you trust and ask for help,” she advises teens. “And know you’re not alone.”

Callie Holtermann is a reporter for The New York Times. Additional reporting by Christina Jewett of The Times and Lisa M. Herrington.

Callie Holtermann is a reporter for The New York Times. Additional reporting by Christina Jewett of The Times and Lisa M. Herrington.