Patterns of Nicotine and Cannabis Vaping Among Young Adults in the US
About 8% of US young adults co-vape nicotine and cannabis, with mental health challenges and cannabis legalization driving higher rates.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among emerging adults, 16% reported exclusive nicotine vaping, 4.3% exclusive cannabis vaping, and 8.1% co-vaping. Mental health distress, substance co-use, and medical cannabis legalization significantly increased odds of all vaping behaviors.
Key Numbers
16.0% exclusive nicotine vaping, 4.3% exclusive cannabis vaping, 8.1% co-vaping among emerging adults. Sexual minorities, lower education levels, and non-Hispanic White individuals showed higher vaping rates.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional analysis of 2022-2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data examining past-month vaping rates and associations with sociodemographic characteristics, mental health, substance use, and cannabis legalization status.
Why This Research Matters
As both nicotine and cannabis vaping become more common, understanding who co-vapes and why is critical for designing targeted prevention programs — especially since mental health and policy factors play significant roles.
The Bigger Picture
The intersection of nicotine and cannabis vaping creates compounded health risks that traditional anti-smoking campaigns weren't designed to address. As cannabis legalization expands, public health messaging needs to evolve to address co-vaping specifically.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions. Self-reported data may underestimate actual vaping rates. Cannot distinguish between different cannabis products or concentrations vaped.
Questions This Raises
- ?What specific mental health interventions could reduce co-vaping rates?
- ?Does cannabis legalization increase co-vaping through product availability or social normalization?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Large nationally representative dataset provides strong population estimates, though cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
- Study Age:
- Uses 2022-2023 NSDUH data, reflecting current vaping landscape.
- Original Title:
- Nicotine and cannabis vaping among U.S. emerging young adults: Findings from 2022 and 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
- Published In:
- Addictive behaviors, 174, 108577 (2026)
- Authors:
- Kim, Nayoung(2), Haizelden, Joy, Avery, Gracie, Mumba, Mercy
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08388
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How common is cannabis vaping among young adults?
About 4.3% of US emerging adults exclusively vape cannabis, while another 8.1% co-vape both nicotine and cannabis — meaning over 12% use cannabis vaping products.
Does cannabis legalization increase vaping?
Medical cannabis legalization significantly increased odds of both exclusive cannabis vaping and co-vaping with nicotine, but did not affect exclusive nicotine vaping rates.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08388APA
Kim, Nayoung; Haizelden, Joy; Avery, Gracie; Mumba, Mercy. (2026). Nicotine and cannabis vaping among U.S. emerging young adults: Findings from 2022 and 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.. Addictive behaviors, 174, 108577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108577
MLA
Kim, Nayoung, et al. "Nicotine and cannabis vaping among U.S. emerging young adults: Findings from 2022 and 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.." Addictive behaviors, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108577
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Nicotine and cannabis vaping among U.S. emerging young adult..." RTHC-08388. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/kim-2026-nicotine-and-cannabis-vaping
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.