Vaping nicotine has become the most common form of substance use among young people, according to a long-term national study led by researchers at the University of Michigan and reported by the Detroit News.

In the last four years, nicotine vaping has surpassed alcohol and cannabis use among eighth graders, said Richard Miech, principal investigator of the Monitoring of the prospective study. In 2022, 7% of eighth graders had vaped nicotine in the last 30 days, compared to 6% of alcohol users and 5% of cannabis users.

In 2021, the numbers between nicotine vaping and alcohol consumption were level among 10th graders, Miech said, but in 2022 nicotine vaping was growing in this group.

“It’s the first time we’ve seen in both eighth and 10th graders where nicotine vaping outperforms all other forms of substance use,” Miech said.

Vaping hit a peak in 2018-09

Vaping was first included in the Monitoring the Future study, which began almost half a century ago in 2017 and peaked in 2018 and 2019, the most notable rise of any substance user in the history of the study.

“These were the biggest increases we’ve seen in 48 years for any compound we’ve ever tracked,” Miech said.

In 2019, Michigan’s then-Chief Medical Executive declared a public health emergency over the increasing use of e-cigarettes by teens. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration was the first in the nation to commit to dealing with the increase.

Tobacco vaping among young people plateaued in 2020 and declined in 2021 and 2022, as did the prevalence of alcohol and cannabis use.

The break-in happened during the COVID-19 pandemic when students were visiting the school remotely, Miech said.

“School is a pretty big risk factor for substance use,” says Miech. “That’s where the older kids who use substances are, encouraging the younger kids to use them, and that’s where you can get substances from your schoolmates.”

Another explanation is vaping brand JUUL, which has been accused of marketing to children by using the…