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State-Level Benefits and Savings Arising from Smokers Switching to Nicotine Vaping Products

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In October 2024, VTA commissioned a study from Robert Shapiro, the former U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, and Luke Stuttgen, Staff Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisors under President Biden and President Trump. This study focused on the use of e-cigarettes in the United States since their introduction in 2011, the marginal health risks of vaping compared to smoking cigarettes, and their effectiveness in helping people reduce or stop smoking.

This new analysis provides an overview of the benefits and savings smokers experienced from switching from deadly cigarettes to vaping nicotine products between 2011 and 2022. It examines the state-by-state impact of the rising use of e-cigarettes on smoking-related premature deaths and illnesses overall, as well as by gender, race, and ethnicity within each state. The research also estimates, by state and demographic groups, the productivity benefits and healthcare savings associated with the impact of vaping on cigarette use.  

Key Findings: 

Impact of Nicotine Vaping on Smoking Rates

  • The adult smoking rate dropped to 11.3% by 2022, well below the projected 16.2% based on the continuation of pre-2010 trends
  • Vaping is estimated to have reduced the number of adult smokers by 6.1 million people between 2011 and 2022

Lives Saved by Switching to Nicotine Vaping

  • The shift from smoking to vaping averted an estimated 113,274 premature deaths and preserved nearly 2.5 million life years
  • States with the highest per-capita lives saved included West Virginia, Kentucky, New York, Arkansas, and Mississippi

Economic Benefits (2011-2022) of Switching

  • Total economic benefits reached $179.3 billion nationally
  • $65.8 billion from productivity gains tied to deaths averted
  • $71.2 billion from reduced smoking-related illness
  • $42.3 billion in healthcare savings from reduced secondhand smoke exposure and lower mortality and morbidity

The full study is available here.

VTA’s Response to the FDA’s Civil Seizure Action

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American-made vaping products—produced by companies that have fully complied with the FDA’s own guidance and the PMTA process—are now being seized nationwide. For more than five years, VTA has warned the agency of flaws in its regulatory system, yet the FDA refuses to engage with stakeholders—an irresponsible course of action that now threatens the bankruptcy of hundreds of thousands of small businesses nationwide.

As of today, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Attorney General are holding a press conference at a vape distribution center in Illinois to highlight their seizures. In Illinois alone, the vape industry produces an economic output of over $544 million and supports 2,666 jobs. Vapor businesses have paid over $175,998,400 in wages and benefits to their employees in the state and generated $92,383,700 in state and local tax revenue. 

If this course of action continues, it will immediately wipe out 150,000 American small businesses and eliminate 90,000 jobs across the country. The result: a catastrophic loss of over $5 billion in state, local, and federal tax revenue this year alone—ballooning to $20 billion over the course of President Donald Trump’s second term. The vaping industry currently contributes more than $17 billion annually to the U.S. economy, and that economic engine will vanish overnight. 

The consequences of this reckless course of action cannot be overstated. This is not only an assault on public health—it is an assault on American workers, small businesses, and the tax base that supports our communities. 

The actions of HHS and the DOJ are detrimental to the state, local, and federal economies, and they must reverse course immediately.


Statement attributable to Tony Abboud, Executive Director of the Vapor Technology Association.

Popcorn Lung and Vaping is Fake News

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Today’s media outlets, government officials, and elected representatives continue to falsely link vaping nicotine (i.e., e-cigarettes) to condition called “popcorn lung.” Worse, these views are likely caused by disinformation pushed by “public health groups” such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Lung Association.

“There have been no confirmed cases of popcorn lung in people who use e-cigarettes.”  

Health Agencies Have Declared Popcorn Lung a Myth

The UK’s National Health Services “Vaping myths and the facts” page says: 

“Fact: Vaping does not cause “popcorn lung”, the common name for a rare disease called bronchiolitis obliterans. The disease was found in a group of factory workers exposed to a chemical (diacetyl) used to flavour popcorn. Diacetyl is contained in cigarette smoke, but it is banned as an ingredient in UK-regulated nicotine vapes and e-liquids.”

Similarly, the Government of Canada’s Health Canada “Risks of vaping” page states: 

“Did you know?
Vaping is not known to cause Popcorn lung.  Bronchiolitis obliterans (also known as “Popcorn lung”), a chronic disease that damages the small airways in the lungs, has been linked to diacetyl exposure. Diacetyl is a flavouring chemical used to give butter-like and other flavours to food. While once common in vaping products, researchers at Health Canada have in recent years found diacetyl in only 2 samples out of more than 800 vaping liquids available in Canada. To date, there have been no confirmed cases of popcorn lung disease as a result of vaping in Canada.” 

To put a finer point on it, Cancer Research UK Confirms Popcorn Lung a Myth:

“Does vaping cause popcorn lung?

  • E-cigarettes don’t cause the lung condition known as popcorn lung
  • There have been no confirmed cases of popcorn lung reported in people who use e-cigarettes
  • E-cigarettes are an option to help people who smoke to stop”

“A Sensational Idea”

This article from the Reason Foundation further debunks the myth that vaping causes popcorn lung and explains how the myth started and why it remains. 

Many years ago, a Harvard Study found the substance that causes popcorn lung – diacetyl – present in some e-cigarettes but at very low levels (9 micrograms per cartridge on average).  And that is all that the media needed to promote this “sensational idea.” But, as explained by the Reason Foundation, manufacturers stopped using diacetyl in the U.S. voluntarily many years ago.  

Today’s Cigarettes Contain 750 Times the Amount of Diacetyl of Versions of E-Cigarettes;  And Still No Popcorn Lung

Combustible cigarettes that are being sold in gas stations, convenience stores, pharmacies and grocery stores throughout the U.S. have been found to contain 336 micrograms of diacetyl in each cigarette. There is no comparison between the level of expsoure to diacetyl in cigarettes compared to vapes, and still there has been no link between smoking cigarettes and “popcorn lung.”

“The 2015 Harvard study, for example, found an average of nine micrograms of diacetyl per e-cigarette cartridge in the samples that tested positive for the chemical. Combustible cigarettes, meanwhile, contain approximately 336 micrograms of diacetyl per cigarette. This means that a cartridge-per-day vaper would be exposed to just nine micrograms of diacetyl, while pack-per-day smokers are exposed to more than 6,700 micrograms of diacetyl every day—750 times more diacetyl exposure than vapers. Yet, a link between smoking and popcorn lung has yet to materialize.” 

VTA’s Response to the FDA’s Marketing Granted Order of Juul Labs

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The Vapor Technology Association recognizes that while the FDA’s decision to authorize JUUL Labs’ e-cigarette products for sale in the U.S. is a long-overdue step that reaffirms the role of vaping in helping adults quit smoking, one authorization is simply not enough to put a dent in the number of American lives lost to cigarettes. 

The American independent vaping industry is at risk of being shut down. The FDA has deputized Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to seize products at the border based on an unlawful regulation. These interdictions are threatening tens of thousands of American small businesses and have limited adult Americans’ access to their most favored products, which make up over 70% of the market.

Given that JUUL’s application took FDA more than four years to review, VTA hopes that the authorization of the JUUL device is the catalyst for desperately needed streamlined FDA regulatory guidance that can create a marketplace filled with less harmful products that are essential to adult consumers and that are made in America.

We urge the FDA to streamline the regulation by bringing transparency, predictability, and consistency to a new guidance, end unlawful border seizures to save American small businesses, and recognize what’s at stake: the lives of 500,000 Americans who die each year from smoking. 

Statement attributable to Tony Abboud, Executive Director of the Vapor Technology Association. 

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VTA Response to the Removal of Brian King, former CTP Director:

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“The removal of Brian King from a position of leadership impacting millions of Americans is the first step in correcting the broken mindset that has crippled the FDA and the Center for Tobacco Products over the past four years. The next step is fixing the broken regulation that allowed CTP, under King’s leadership, to make politically motivated decisions that have done nothing to save the 480,000 Americans who die from smoking every year. Instead of following the science, as was his mandate, he chose to ignore it, standing in the way of President Trump’s campaign promise to save flavored vaping.
VTA applauds President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for taking decisive action and looks forward to working together to ensure Americans have access to less harmful flavored vaping products and that America is Made Healthy Again.”

VTA Response to SCOTUS Ruling on FDA v. Wages & White Lion Investments

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WASHINGTON – April 2, 2025 – The following statement is attributable to Tony Abboud,
Executive Director of the Vapor Technology Association:

“We are deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s ruling today in FDA vs. Wages & White Lion Investments. The decision is an endorsement of the FDA’s shifting conduct, and we strongly disagree with its implications for the vaping industry and the millions of adult consumers who rely on flavored products as a harm reduction tool.


This ruling underscores the urgent need for decisive action from the Trump Administration to resolve ongoing – and future – litigation by eliminating once and for all the regulatory uncertainty plaguing the FDA. President Trump’s FDA can establish clear and fair guidance that supports innovation and ensures the survival of the small businesses that make up the U.S. vaping industry.

The future of flavored vaping now lies in President Trump’s hands, and we urge him to fulfill his campaign promise to save flavored vaping – the most effective tool available to quit smoking deadly cigarettes.
We remain committed to advocating for sensible policies that balance public health priorities with consumer choice and industry sustainability and look forward to working with President Trump to make these changes – now more necessary than ever – a reality.”

Vapor Technology Association Launches Broadcast Campaign Calling on President Donald Trump to Keep Promise to Save Flavored Vaping Industry

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The broadcast segments feature small business owners and vaping voters relying on President Trump to save the vaping industry.

Washington, D.C. – Wednesday, March 19, 2025: Today, The Vapor Technology Association (VTA) launched a cable and digital news campaign urging President Donald Trump and his administration to uphold their promise to save the flavored vaping industry and the thousands of small businesses the industry supports. The weeklong placements are running on FOX News, FOX Business, and Newsmax during key programming slots, including “FOX and Friends,” “Kudlow,” and “The Five.”

VTA’s campaign emphasizes the trust American vapers have placed in President Trump to protect small businesses and consumer choice. The segments feature small business owners and dedicated vaping supporters who stood up for President Trump during the 2024 election and are now asking him to stand up for them.

“In September, President Trump made a promise on his Truth Social account that he would save the flavored vaping industry, protect tens of thousands of small businesses from being shut down, and protect the tens of millions of adult Americans who smoke but need flavored vaping alternatives to quit,” said Tony Abboud, executive director of VTA. “Vaper voters, who turned out by the hundreds of thousands to support then-candidate Trump, have given President Trump a mandate to keep the promise he made and protect the thousands of small businesses and Americans that rely on vaping products.”

The placements also highlight the consequences of inaction on the issue, including the destruction of a multibillion dollar industry.

To watch VTA’s “Save My Small Business” broadcast placement, please visit this link.

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About VTA: The Vapor Technology Association is the U.S. industry trade association whose members are dedicated to sound science-based regulation and selling innovative high-quality vapor products that provide adult smokers with a better alternative to combustible cigarettes. VTA represents the industry-leading manufacturers of vapor devices, e-liquids, and flavorings, as well as the distributors and retailers, including hardworking American mom-and-pop brick-and-mortar retail store owners.

ICYMI: “PROMISES MADE; VAPES KEPT” LAUNCHED WITH PLACEMENT ON FOXNEWS, CONSERVATIVE TV URGING PRESIDENT TRUMP TO SAVE FLAVORED VAPING

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Washington, D.C. – Thursday, January 23, 2025: The Vapor Technology Association (VTA)
recently launched a significant “Promises Made; Vapes Kept” broadcast placement and ad
campaign on Fox News urging President Trump and his administration to uphold their campaign
promise to save the flavored vaping industry and the thousands of small businesses the industry
supports. The weeklong broadcast television spot on Fox News started running immediately
following the historic second inauguration of President Trump reaching viewers in Washington,
D.C. and nationwide.
“In September, President Trump made a promise on his Truth Social account that he would
save the flavored vaping industry, protect tens of thousands of small businesses from being
shut down, and protect the tens of millions of adult Americans who smoke but need flavored
vaping alternatives to quit,” said Tony Abboud, executive director of the Vapor Technology
Association. “VTA, vaper voters, and small vape businesses turned out by the hundreds of
thousands to support then-candidate Trump and help him secure his electoral victory. VTA
looks forward to working with President Trump to fulfill his promise to save the flavored vaping
industry in his first 100 days as president.”
VTA’s broadcast placement is running on Fox News, Fox Business, and Newsmax, from
January 21 to January 27, 2025. Programs included, but were not limited to, Fox & Friends, The
Five, Hannity, Mornings with Maria, Kudlow, and more.

VTA Files SCOTUS Amicus Brief Opposing FDA in Wages & White Lion Case

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Washington, DC – October 15, 2024 – The Vapor Technology Association (VTA) filed with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) an amicus brief against the FDA and in support of Respondents in United States Food & Drug Administration v. Wages & White Lion Investments, dba Triton Distribution et al.

Unlike the amicus briefs we filed in this on-going litigation which focused on the FDA’s wrongdoings and the adverse economic impact of failing to hold the FDA to legal account, this brief focused on the recent dramatic change in SCOTUS jurisprudence in Loper Bright v. Raimondo which dramatically altered the manner in which federal courts evaluate whether agencies – like the FDA – have acted within the confines of the law by assessing the best reading of the statute. 

VTA’s amicus brief supports Respondents arguments and encourages SCOTUS to look skeptically – through the prism of Loper – at the FDA’s arguments and its post-hoc justifications for its actions. VTA’s amicus brief highlights three key points:

  1. LOPER REQUIRES THAT FDA’S DENIAL ORDERS BE SET ASIDE BECAUSE THEY VIOLATE THE BEST READING OF THE TOBACCO CONTROL ACT.
  2. THE BEST READING OF THE TOBACCO CONTROL ACT DOES NOT ALLOW FDA TO ISSUE DENIAL ORDERS BASED ON THE POST-HOC COMPARATIVE EFFICACY TEST.
  3. FDA PROCESS FOR REVIEWING PMTAS WAS HEAVILY CRITICIZED BY AN INDEPENDENT TOBACCO EXPERT PANEL WHICH CALLED OUT THE FDA’S FAILURE TO CONSISTENTLY APPLY THE APPH TEST.

VTA’s full amicus brief is available HERE.

The FDA is Objectively Failing

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With over 16 million Americans suffering from smoking related disease, and nearly 500,000 Americans dying annually, the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products has chosen to use its enormous regulatory power to deprive Americans of access, if not outright ban, all non-combustible alternatives to cigarettes in the U.S. despite leading tobacco control researchers demonstrating they are the most effective tool available to help people quit smoking.

“It is now time for the medical community to acknowledge this progress and add e-cigarettes to the smoking cessation toolkit… U.S. public health agencies and professional medical societies should reconsider their cautious positions on e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. The evidence has brought e-cigarettes to the tipping point. The burden of tobacco-related disease is too big for potential solutions such as e-cigarettes to be ignored.”

Dr. Nancy Rigotti, Harvard Medical School

Only a few years ago –  regulators, scientists and harm reduction advocates arrived at a policy consensus that would balance the relative risks posed by various tobacco products. That consensus was driven by shared goals – to reduce the number of Americans who smoke cigarettes and move them down the “continuum of risk” away from combustible tobacco and toward less risky alternatives especially vaping and other non-combustible nicotine products. The most recent government data that tracks progress in this regard is unfortunately telling us that FDA policies are risking the lives of many Americans – especially older Americans who are most at risk from continuing this deadly habit.

In August of 2021, the 15 past presidents of the staunchly anti-tobacco Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco published a groundbreaking essay in the American Journal of Public Health. In it, they encouraged a more balanced consideration of vaping and other alternative nicotine products within public health and in the media and policy circles. While acknowledging that vaping is not free from risks, they demonstrated that it is substantially less harmful than cigarette smoking. Furthermore, they highlighted emerging evidence showing that vaping can increase smoking cessation and is likely more effective than FDA-approved nicotine replacement products like gum and patches. 

Two years later, the FDA echoed some of those same observations and recommendations. In an August 2023 commentary published in the online journal Addiction and authored by Brian King, the current head of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), King highlighted that many adults were misinformed about the relative risks of various tobacco products and that misunderstanding was a barrier to moving smokers down the continuum of risk toward safer, non-combustible tobacco products. And yet, the CTP during his tenure  has  authorized a mere handful of non-combustible nicotine products. Instead, CTP has authorized thousands of new combustible tobacco products. As a result, millions of Americans continue to smoke and die from tobacco related disease.

American Smoking Deaths Under the Califf/King FDA

Since February 17, 2022

830,000,000

For an agency that spends a great deal of time talking about saving lives, by every empirical measure, they are objectively failing:

  • During the period that Brian King and FDA Chief Robert Califf have been in charge of tobacco policy for the country, FDA has authorized more than 1,500 new cigarettes and more than 11,000 combustible tobacco products
  • According to the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), past 30-day cigarette use among 12th graders, INCREASED from 5.7% to 7.5%
  • The independent Reagan-Udall Foundation criticized the FDA for putting politics over science and ignoring emerging evidence that confirms that flavor bans and other prohibitions on non-combustible nicotine products actually increase cigarettes sales
  • FDA’s own tobacco enforcement statistics confirm that smoking remains a problem and that youth smoking violations are higher than youth vaping

Scientists are now starting to sound the alarm and are warning that we have reached a tipping point where FDA’s broad opposition to flavored non-combustible tobacco products over the last four years will create enormous public health consequences in the future for many Americans. 

Dr. Nancy Rigotti, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a member of the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine, has sounded the alarm after publishing a editorial stating that we have reached “the tipping point” where policymakers can no longer willfully ignore evidence and use their regulatory authority to undermine e-cigarettes. 

“It is now time for the medical community to acknowledge this progress and add e-cigarettes to the smoking cessation toolkit… U.S. public health agencies and professional medical societies should reconsider their cautious positions on e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. The evidence has brought e-cigarettes to the tipping point. The burden of tobacco-related disease is too big for potential solutions such as e-cigarettes to be ignored.”

FDA now finds itself in the awkward position of being a health agency that is facilitating the sale of cigarettes thereby undermining its own mission to reduce the incidence of smoking related disease and death. FDA’s policies are keeping more effective (and safer) alternatives to cigarettes away from consumers and are in turn propping up the sales and profits of big tobacco companies. Without a course correction that truthfully portrays the risks and benefits of various nicotine products, millions of Americans will needlessly suffer from illness and death.

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