Massachusetts E-Cigarette Unit Sales by Flavor

Total Unit Sales in Thousands *
* Sales data do not reflect sales from vape shops or online retailers; dates represent end of 4-week periods; e-cigarette accessories and devices sold without e-liquids were excluded (9.5% of total dollar sales in 2022). Unit sales were standardized to reflect the most common package size for each product type. A standardized unit was equal to five prefilled cartridges, one disposable device, or one e-liquid bottle.
All Other Flavors category includes fruit, clove/spice, chocolate, alcoholic drink (such as wine, cognac, or other cocktails), candy/desserts/other sweets, some other flavor; Clear/Other Cooling include products with flavor names such as clear, clear ice, or unflavored, which likely contain non-menthol synthetic cooling agents (e.g., Flum Pebble Clear, EB Design BC5000 Clear)
Trends of Unit Sales by Flavor Following Massachusetts’s Flavored E-cigarette Restriction
All stats between 9/15/2019 and 9/8/2024, unless otherwise specified

Following Massachusetts’s flavored e-cigarette restrictions, monthly e-cigarette total unit sales decreased from 548.7 thousand to 55.7 thousand (-89.8%).

Δ Unit Sales

-89.8%

Tobacco-flavored e-cigarette sales decreased from 135.8 thousand to 44.5 thousand (-67.2%); unit share increased from 24.8% to 79.9%.

Δ Unit Sales

-67.2%

Non-Tobacco-flavored e-cigarette sales decreased from 412.9 thousand to 10.2 thousand (-97.5%); unit share decreased from 75.2% to 18.3%.

Δ Unit Sales

-97.5%

Menthol-flavored e-cigarette sales decreased from 55.5 thousand to 0.6 thousand (-98.9%); unit share decreased from 10.1% to 1.1%.

Δ Unit Sales

-98.9%

Mint-flavored e-cigarette sales decreased from 324.9 thousand to 0.0 (-100.0%); unit share decreased from 59.2% to 0.0%.

Δ Unit Sales

-100.0%

All other-flavored e-cigarette sales decreased from 32.4 thousand to 0.4 thousand (-98.8%); unit share decreased from 5.9% to 0.7%.

Δ Unit Sales

-98.8%

Between 12/4/2022 and 9/8/2024 clear/other cooling flavored e-cigarette sales increased from 8.0 thousand to 9.1 thousand (+14.8%); unit share increased from 1.4% to 16.4%.

Δ Unit Sales

+14.8%

Retail sales data are based on custom research by CDC Foundation using Circana retail POS (Multi-Outlet + Convenience). Financial support was provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies through a grant to the CDC Foundation. According to Circana, new e-cigarette product coding is managed to consistently meet or exceed releasing products that cover a minimum of 95.5% of total e-cigarette dollar sales at any given time. Coding and releasing of new products are prioritized based on significance of dollar sales in order to continually comply with capturing at least 95.5% of total e-cigarette dollar sales in each period.
  • October 28, 2019

    Massachusetts Implements Temporary Emergency E-Cigarette Ban

    Massachusetts enacted a temporary emergency ban restricting the sale of all e-cigarette products as a result of EVALI cases surging in the U.S.

  • November 28, 2019

    Massachusetts Enacts Permanent Ban on Sales of Flavored E-Cigarettes

    Massachusetts made history as the first U.S. state to end the sale of all non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette products, except in licensed adult-only smoking bars. Sales of e-cigarettes and e-liquids with a nicotine concentration greater than 35 mg/ml were restricted to specialty tobacco stores and smoking bars.

  • June 1, 2020

    Expansion of Flavor Ban to All Tobacco Products

    The Massachusetts state law restricting sales of flavored e-cigarette products was extended to restrict sales of all flavored tobacco products beginning June 1, 2020, including menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. At the same time, the state implemented a new excise tax on e-cigarettes at 75% of the wholesale price. DOR Cigarette, Tobacco and Vaping Excise Tax | Mass.gov 

Effects of Federal and State Policy Actions on Sales of E-Cigarette Products in Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ comprehensive state-wide policy led to an immediate and drastic decline in overall e-cigarette sales and in non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette sales (between September 2019 and December 2023). Sales of e-cigarettes in menthol, mint, and other flavors were virtually eliminated. However, sales of “clear/other cooling” flavored e-cigarettes (marketed in flavors such as clear, clear ice, naked, or unflavored but which contain menthol or other synthetic coolantshttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/379968851_Cardiovascular_Health_Effects_and_Synthetic_Cooling_Agents_in_E-cigarettes_Labeled_as_Clear_Marketed_in_Massachusetts_After_the_Tobacco_Product_Flavoring_Ban) have risen. 

Past Data Briefs

E-Cigarette Sales by State

For individual state e-cigarette sales information, click on each state’s shape on the map. You can also click on each state text below the map for e-cigarette sales data.