Nicotine levels are rising among teens who vape, new study warns
Vape devices are flooding teens' bodies with increasingly heavy doses of addictive nicotine, a new study finds. Average urine levels of a key nicotine metabolite, cotinine, nearly tripled among teenagers over a period of a few months in late 2024, researchers report in JAMA Psychiatry.
New research warns that nicotine levels among teenage e-cigarette users are increasing sharply. A study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that average urine cotinine levels, a nicotine metabolite, nearly tripled among teenagers in late 2024. Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital analyzed the health records of over 150 patients aged 13 to 19 who sought treatment for substance use disorder between 2023 and 2025.
Cotinine levels rose from 1,062 nanograms per milliliter before October 2024 to over 2,959 ng/mL by the start of 2025. The increase coincided with the rise of pod-based vape devices containing higher concentrations of nicotine salts and disposable devices with larger tanks. Dr. Manassa Hany, who was not involved in the study, expressed concern about the long-term effects of these high nicotine doses on the developing brains of adolescents.
He noted that the effects of such a potent substance like nicotine may not be apparent immediately but could manifest over the next decade. Regulators could help by capping nicotine levels in vaping products and curbing technologies that make vaping smoother and more palatable, according to Hany.
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