--- title: States Banning Flavored E-Cigarettes Reduced Initiation by Young Adults description: Young people living in one of four states with flavoring bans for e-cigarettes were only half as likely as peers in other states without such bans to start vaping. image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/vaping_iStock-1366587827.jpg --- 1/5/26 3:31 PM # States Banning Flavored E-Cigarettes Reduced Initiation by Young Adults ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/states-banning-flavored-e-cigarettes-reduced-initiation-by-young-adults) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/states-banning-flavored-e-cigarettes-reduced-initiation-by-young-adults) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/states-banning-flavored-e-cigarettes-reduced-initiation-by-young-adults) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/states-banning-flavored-e-cigarettes-reduced-initiation-by-young-adults) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/states-banning-flavored-e-cigarettes-reduced-initiation-by-young-adults) ![vaping_iStock-1366587827](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/vaping_iStock-1366587827.jpg?width=220&height=151&name=vaping_iStock-1366587827.jpg)Young people living in one of four states with flavoring bans for e-cigarettes were only half as likely as peers in other states without such bans to start vaping, according to the results of a [study](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2843416) issued today by *JAMA Psychiatry*.   **Why It’s Relevant** Nearly 90% of adolescent and young adult e-cigarette users prefer flavored e-liquids, and flavorings are frequently cited as a primary reason for the initiation of vaping. In 2020, several U.S. states implemented comprehensive e-cigarette flavor bans to close the loopholes in federal flavorings regulations, which exclude refillable and disposable e-cigarettes and all menthol-flavored vapes.   **By the Numbers** - Researchers analyzed responses to the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study from four states that implemented sales bans for all flavored e-cigarettes—Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York—and compared them to 36 states without bans. They zeroed in on responses from 72,170 participants who had never used e-cigarettes at baseline and who later completed a subsequent interview. - Among young adults (ages 18 to 24), e-cigarette flavor bans were associated with a **more than 50% decrease in starting vaping** from the pre-ban rate (6.05 percentage point decrease in initiation). - However, **no significant change was observed among adolescents** (ages 12 to 17) or **adults age ≥25 years**. Furthermore, **flavor bans didn’t reduce initiation among disadvantaged subpopulations**, including those who are Black or Hispanic or who have household income ≤$50,000, psychosocial distress, or belong to a sexual minority. **The Other Side** The researchers relied on self-reported data, which could be subject to recall errors and social desirability bias. Furthermore, they categorized people as either never having used e-cigarettes or ever having used them, encompassing a wide range of use patterns from experimentation to daily use.   **What’s Next** Future studies should examine the association of e-cigarette flavor bans with frequency of use, researchers said.   **Related Information** “[FDA Bans Some Flavored E-Cigarettes, but Advocates Say Policy Falls Short](https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2020.2a33)”   **Source:** Meng-Yun Lin, Ph.D., et al. State-level flavored e-cigarette bans and initiation rates among youths and adults. *JAMA Psychiatry*. Published January 5, 2026.   (Image: Getty Images/iStock/Yaroslav Litun)   [addiction](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/addiction), [smoking](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/smoking), [adolescents](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/adolescents), [young adults](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/young-adults), [vaping](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/vaping), [nicotine](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/nicotine), [nicotine use disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/nicotine-use-disorder), [NUD](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/nud) ## Related Posts [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gunshow_iStock-1182677294-Jun-24-2025-07-23-00-3125-PM.jpg?height=200&name=gunshow_iStock-1182677294-Jun-24-2025-07-23-00-3125-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2023/10/state-mh-reporting-requirements-vary.html) ## [State MH Reporting Requirements Vary for Firearm Background Checks](https://alert.psychnews.org/2023/10/state-mh-reporting-requirements-vary.html) 10/18/23 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2023/10/state-mh-reporting-requirements-vary.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/college_student_iStock-846982640-Jun-24-2025-09-27-20-3098-PM.jpg?height=200&name=college_student_iStock-846982640-Jun-24-2025-09-27-20-3098-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/01/college-students-in-states-with.html) ## [College Students in States With Legalized Marijuana Report Greater Use of Drug](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/01/college-students-in-states-with.html) 1/14/20 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/01/college-students-in-states-with.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gunshow_79148255-Jun-24-2025-07-27-17-0661-PM.jpg?height=200&name=gunshow_79148255-Jun-24-2025-07-27-17-0661-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/03/tougher-gun-laws-may-reduce-firearm.html) ## [Tougher Gun Laws May Reduce Firearm Suicides, Homicides, Study Finds](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/03/tougher-gun-laws-may-reduce-firearm.html) 3/5/18 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/03/tougher-gun-laws-may-reduce-firearm.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert" }, "dateModified" : "2026-01-05T20:31:54.749Z", "datePublished" : "2026-01-05T20:31:54.000Z", "headline" : "States Banning Flavored E-Cigarettes Reduced Initiation by Young Adults", "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/vaping_iStock-1366587827.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/states-banning-flavored-e-cigarettes-reduced-initiation-by-young-adults", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg" } } } ```