New research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found monthly e-cigarette sales in the U.S. jumped 46.6% from 2020-2022.
Researchers found sales of disposable e-cigarette devices and sales of "youth-appealing flavors" increased.
"The surge in total e-cigarette sales during 2020-2022 was driven by non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette sales, such as menthol, which dominates the prefilled cartridge market, and fruit and candy flavors, which lead the disposable e-cigarette market," said Fatma Romeh Ali, the lead author of the study.
The five top-selling brands were Vuse, JUUL, Elf Bar, NJOY and Breeze Smoke. Elf Bar was noted as the top-selling disposable e-cigarette brand in the country.
Elf Bar, also marketed as EBDESIGN, was the most popular brand among a sample of 16-19-year-olds surveyed in the U.S. The brand was also recently responsible for sharp increases in e-cigarette use among youths in England.
US adult cigarette smoking rate hits all-time low
Last year, the percentage of adult smokers dropped to about 11%.
Elf Bar has been at the center of a federal investigation into illegal tobacco sales.
On Tuesday the Food and Drug Administration sent 189 retailers warning letters after they sold unauthorized tobacco products, including Elf Bars.
"Elf Bar and Esco Bars products do not have the required marketing authorization from the FDA," the agency said.
The CDC maintains that youth use of tobacco, in any form, is unsafe, and that tobacco use remains the overall leading cause of preventable disease and death nationwide. It calls for comprehensive restrictions on flavored tobacco products, to make sure "tobacco control strategies reach all population groups equitably."
