The data suggests that the market is reacting to enforcement decisions. Sales of pre-filled cartridges fell after the FDA began prioritizing the products in January 2020, due to their popularity among minor users. Sales of fruits and sweet flavors almost stopped completely, while total sales fell from 75.2 percent to 48 percent.
Disposable sales, however, more than doubled from 24.7 percent to 51.8 percent. Sweets and fruit flavors continue to rise, accounting for 79.6 percent of the market. (The study lumped any flavors other than tobacco, mint and menthol into an “other” category that also includes flavors like spices or alcoholic beverages.)
Sweet and fruit flavored disposable vapes are the most popular among teenagers. The study shows that Elf Bar is the best-selling disposable brand and third overall in December 2022, cutting sales of Puff Bar, the disposable e-cigarette of choice among teenagers, according to the 2022 survey of CDC youth.
On Thursday, the FDA conducted what it called an enforcement “blitz” against retailers selling Elf Bar and Esco Bars products. The agency sent a similar round of warning letters in May to retailers selling unauthorized products from Puff Bar and Hyde, another popular brand among teenagers.
The disposable brand Breeze Smoke is the fifth best-selling brand. Pre-filled brands Vuse and Juul were the best-selling and second best-selling overall, respectively, while fellow pre-filled brand NJOY came in fourth.
