Historically, inhaling nicotine-laced air was difficult to do furtively. Cigarettes have an obvious stench when smoked indoors; yet e-cigarettes, most of which are smaller and more nondescript than a traditional cigarette, are practically designed to be clandestine.
The ease with which one can vape subtly, and without leaving the noticeable stench of cigarettes on one's breath or clothes, has led to the proliferation of e-cigarettes in high schools. The Food and Drug administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that, in 2022, 14.1% of all American high school students used e-cigarettes actively (meaning in the past 30 days).
