“We’ve been doing concentrated work with DGF schools and that percentage rate has dropped to 7%,” McCoy said.
Across the river, Fargo Cass Public Health reports results from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey show e-cigarette usage in North Dakota has gone from 33.1% in 2019 down to 18.2% in 2023. The survey is done every other year and 2025 results are not yet available.
“When it comes to vaping, it cuts through every socioeconomic group. A kid would use it depending on what is influencing them whether that’s social media, if it’s their friends, if it’s access,” said Doreen Odera, Community Health Educator for Fargo Cass Public Health.
Health concerns remain despite declining usage
Allison Tamm with Pulmonary Medicine at Essentia Health says there have still been massive health issues even though usage rates have gone down.
“In 2023, there was an increase in patients coming in with EVALI (E-cigarette Induced Lung Injury) that was in the ICU. We’d see quite a few, young patients that were coming in with significant lung injury that were on ventilators,” Tamm said.
She says part of the appeal comes from marketing.
“The marketing is definitely directed towards teens. It’s eerily similar to how big tobacco marketed previously. It’s bright colors, fruity, candy flavors. Then, even the vape products are changing how they’re made,” Tamm said.
Cass and Clay Counties say the way to keep reducing these rates is by making sure teens have a trusted adult to go to.
“Kids who know that one parent in their home cares, are showing remarkably less, reduced rates across all of the substances, vaping, smoking, cannabis, drinking alcohol,” McCoy said.
Health officials in Clay County describe nicotine pouches like Zyn as “the next chewing tobacco” and recommend talking to your teens about them.
