Texas college data show rapid shifts in top vaping brands, with Geek Bar/Vape surging by 2025

Key Takeaways

• Sample: 6,049 Texas college students aged 18–25 who vaped nicotine in the past 30 days; spring 2023 (n=2,460), 2024 (n=2,144), 2025 (n=1,445)
• Most used brands across years: Esco Bar, Elf Bar, Vuse, JUUL, Puff Bar, Geek Bar/Vape, Lost Mary
• Trends (2023–2025): Esco Bar, Elf Bar, JUUL, Puff Bar decreased; Geek Bar/Vape increased
• Nonlinear patterns: Vuse and Lost Mary rose in 2023–2024; Vuse declined and Lost Mary did not significantly change in 2024–2025
• Brand share example: Geek Bar/Vape rose from 0.7% (2023) to 62.1% (2025) in reported “most used” brand

2Firsts, February 24, 2026 – According to a short communication published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers examined how the most commonly used nicotine vaping brands among Texas college students changed across 2023, 2024, and 2025.

The study analyzed a convenience sample of 6,049 students aged 18–25 who reported vaping nicotine in the past 30 days. Data came from three repeated cross-sectional online surveys drawn from the same 18 two-year and four-year Texas colleges during spring 2023 (February–March), spring 2024 (February–April), and spring 2025 (February–April). Participants reported one nicotine vaping brand they currently used most often, with listed options and a fill-in option.

Descriptively, the report said the share of participants reporting no usual vaping brand changed from 18.4% in 2023 to 36.8% in 2024 and 27.1% in 2025. Among those who named a brand, the most used brands across all years were Esco Bar, Elf Bar, Vuse, JUUL, Puff Bar, Geek Bar/Vape, and Lost Mary.

Trend analyses indicated that from 2023 to 2025, use of Esco Bar, Elf Bar, JUUL, and Puff Bar decreased, while use of Geek Bar/Vape increased. Quadratic/piecewise results indicated that Vuse and Lost Mary increased from 2023 to 2024; from 2024 to 2025, Vuse decreased and Lost Mary did not significantly change.

Tabled descriptive figures in the report show Geek Bar/Vape rising from 0.7% (2023) to 8.7% (2024) and 62.1% (2025) as the “most often used” brand, while Esco Bar fell from 39.9% (2023) to 18.6% (2024) and 2.4% (2025), and Elf Bar fell from 23.3% (2023) to 14.6% (2024) and 3.7% (2025).

In discussion, the authors said brand shifts may reflect FDA enforcement actions targeting unauthorized vaping brands and highlighted the need for additional surveillance of rapidly rising brands such as Geek Bar/Vape, which the report described as not authorized for marketing or sale by the FDA.

From a market structure perspective:

The study demonstrates rapid brand turnover within a two-year period. Esco Bar (39.9% in 2023) and Elf Bar (23.3%) declined sharply by 2025, while Geek Bar/Vape rose from 0.7% in 2023 to 62.1% in 2025  . This suggests that the young adult vaping market is characterized by accelerated brand cycles and high volatility. Brand dominance appears increasingly temporary rather than cumulative.

From a regulatory dynamics perspective:

The authors note that these shifts may reflect FDA enforcement actions targeting unauthorized products such as Esco Bar and Elf Bar  . This highlights how enforcement activity functions not only as compliance oversight but as a structural force reshaping competitive positioning. Regulatory timing and authorization status may directly influence brand survival.

From a competitive strategy perspective:

The decline of certain brands alongside the rapid rise of Geek Bar/Vape  indicates a substitution effect rather than a contraction of demand. Market demand among young adults appears resilient, with brand preference shifting in response to regulatory pressure. For industry participants, this underscores the importance of anticipating regulatory-driven displacement cycles.

To understand the detailed content of the study, please read the original article.