The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that its youth e-cigarette prevention campaign, The Real Cost, has prevented an estimated 444,252 American youths (ages 11 to 17) from initiating e-cigarette use between 2023 and 2024.

The claim is based on a study co-authored by FDA scientists and published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study also notes a 70% decline in youth vaping, from 5.38 million users in 2019 to 1.63 million in 2024, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey.

While the FDA highlights these figures as evidence of the campaign’s success, a closer examination reveals that the agency’s inconsistent enforcement and regulatory oversights have allowed unauthorized e-cigarette products to persist in the market.

The current regulatory state of the vaping market has enabled only major tobacco companies to get vaping products authorized through the agency’s premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) process.

Some e-cigarette companies have adapted to FDA crackdowns by restructuring their operations or moving offshore to evade detection. For instance, Chinese company Heaven Gifts transferred its U.S. operations of the Lost Mary brand to a British Virgin Islands firm, complicating FDA enforcement efforts, according to Reuters.

The FDA’s stringent regulations on flavored vaping products have led to legal disputes. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing cases where companies argue that flavored vapes assist adults in quitting smoking without increasing youth risks. That decision is expected this Summer.

In reality, industry experts say the FDA’s portrayal of “The Real Cost” campaign as a success is overshadowed by its inadequate enforcement and regulatory lapses. These shortcomings have allowed unauthorized products to dominate the market and continue to push small business owners out of business.