Cigarettes: Vintage Vapes?

Nationally, it is widely understood that cigarette use has declined, particularly among youth. However, it’s a common misperception that the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), also known as vapes, continues to rise. What if it’s not as clear cut as that? With youth, we have seen a long-term trend towards not using nicotine, with only 4.8% of Pennsylvania students using cigarettes in their lifetime, 4.4% lifetime use of nicotine pouches, and 11.5% ever using vapes/e-cigarettes [1] in 2025. Overall, nicotine use has had a steady decrease since 1998 [2], with a notable uptick between 2017-2019 [3] with the introduction of newer nicotine products. However, nicotine use has since continued to decrease, due to the education and prevention programs acknowledging the harm of these new products (ENDS, nicotine pouches). Interestingly, as nicotine use in all forms continues to decline, a possible small subculture of those who view cigarette use as “vintage” or as a “cool” aesthetic could begin to normalize the use of combustible tobacco cigarettes, a throwback nostalgia of sorts. 

So this begs the question -  among the minority of youth and young people who still use nicotine in any form, will we see a switch back to cigarettes? When current-day vapes were first introduced in 2015 [4], they were marketed as desirable and a “healthier” product compared to cigarettes (which they are not). They smelled better, tasted better, were discrete, and generally less wasteful. But have those factors made them more addictive? Being more discrete can mean an increase of use, due to the convenience and accessibility of vapes. Gone were the days of having to leave the indoors to use nicotine, or having to rid yourself of cigarette smoke, commonly sticking to clothes. We saw a huge spike in nicotine use among adolescents and young adult populations with the popularization of vapes [4]. Once educated on the impacts and realities of vape use, youth and young adults became aware of the heightened risks associated with nicotine vapes. This, paired with prevention campaigns [5], anti-vape marketing [6], and supportive peer relationships [7], has played a meaningful role in the continuous decrease in vape use for youth and young adults. 

When one product declines, the cultural space could potentially be filled with something else. The trend may be small now, but it is noticeable. In recent media, movies, advertisements, and social media, it seems that there might be a slight uptick in the presence of actual cigarettes. While it cannot be overstated how significantly nicotine use has declined, we must always be mindful, protected, and vigilant. Exposure to cigarette use in these types of media could contribute to normalization, particularly among young audiences who are still developing their perceptions of what is socially acceptable and expected [8]. 

In a world where screens and technology are everywhere, many young adults crave to be unplugged [9]. This coupled with a desire for a vintage aesthetic, (which, yes, the 2000’s are now considered vintage) including plug-in headphones and low rise jeans, has created a juxtaposition, with the original desired aspects of vapes (discrete, flavorful, convenient) ironically creating a potential reason to switch to cigarettes (even though neither cigarettes nor vapes are healthy - as nicotine itself is addictive). Several studies have found that e-cigarette use is associated with an increased likelihood of combustible cigarette initiation, particularly among adolescents and young adults [10, 11]. Regardless of how someone uses nicotine, it is still a highly addictive substance, no matter the product. This switch seems like a contradictory concept, as vapes were originally marketed for cigarette cessation and as a “healthy” alternative. As this is a recent phenomenon and we don’t have clear, reliable data, we can take some of this with a grain of salt. However, that grain of salt can easily become an avalanche, so being aware of our changing risk perceptions and using critical thinking regarding these changes is going to be momentous in the coming years. 

Sources:

1. Pennsylvania Youth Survey. State of Pennsylvania Profile Report 2025. https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/pccd/documents/juvenile-justice/pays/2025-pays/2025-state-of-pennsylvania-profile-report.pdf

2. Johnston LD, O’Malley PM, & Bachman JG. National Survey Results on Drug Use from The Monitoring the Future Study, 1975-1998. The University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. 1999;1. https://monitoringthefuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/mtf-vol1_1998.pdf. Accessed Oct 6, 2026.

3. Scheffer K. Before recent outbreak, vaping was on the rise in U.S., especially among young people. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/09/26/vaping-survey-data-roundup/ Published Sept. 26, 2019.

4. Fadus MC, Smith TT, & Squeglia LM. The rise of e-cigarettes, pod mod devices, and JUUL among youth: Factors influencing use, health implications, and downstream effects. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019;201:85-93. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.04.011

5. Vallone DM, Perks SN, Pitzer L, et al. Evidence of the impact of a national anti-tobacco prevention campaign across demographic subgroups. Health Educ Res. 2022;36(4):412-421. doi:10.1093/her/cyab025

6. Truth Inititative. Truth Initiative announces results from first study to show relationship between anti-vaping campaign awareness and reduced e-cigarette use among young people. https://truthinitiative.org/press/press-release/truth-initiative-announces-results-first-study-show-relationship-between-anti. Published Aug. 10, 2023.

7.  Costello MA, Evohr B, Eden Evins A, et al. Peer vapes nicotine use in adolescents and young adults: Associations with abstinence and intervention adherence during a quit attempt. Substance Use: Research and Treatment. 2026;20. doi:10.1177/29768357261481840

8.  Truth Inititative. Cigarettes are still a popular on-screen prop - and it’s fueling youth nicotine addiction. https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/tobacco-pop-culture/cigarettes-are-still-popular-screen-prop-and-its-fueling. Published March 13, 2023. Accessed Sept. 22, 2026.

9. Murmuration. Life in the digital age: How Americans are rethinking technology, connection, and what they want to reclaim. Walton Family Foundation. 2026. https://cdn.sanity.io/files/04war3gn/production/c3e92de808d7b2e5176631b9f9e0f09eab0552e8.pdf

10. Glasser A, Abudayyeh H, Cantrell J, Niaura R. Patterns of E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults: Review of the Impact of E-Cigarettes on Cigarette Smoking. Nicotine Tob Res. 2019;21(10):1320-1330. doi:10.1093/ntr/nty103

11.  Loukas A, Marti CN, Cooper M, Pasch KE, Perry CL. Exclusive e-cigarette use predicts cigarette initiation among college students. Addict Behav. 2018;76:343-347. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.08.023

12.  Lichtenberg K. E-Cigarettes: Current Evidence and Policy. Mo Med. 2017;114(5):335-338.