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

Published on March 2, 2026

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.