Teen tobacco usage in the U.S. has dropped to its lowest point in 25 years, primarily due to a significant decrease in vaping, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The CDC highlights that most tobacco product use begins in adolescence, and while progress is evident, health officials acknowledge that much work remains.
Data from the latest analysis indicates that the number of middle and high school students using any tobacco product, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and nicotine pouches, fell from 2.8 million in 2023 to 2.25 million in recent surveys.
The findings are based on the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, conducted from January 22 to May 22, 2024, which gathered responses from nearly 30,000 students across 283 schools.
A notable factor in the decline is the drop in high school vaping rates, which decreased from 10 percent to 7.8 percent between 2023 and 2024.
Dr. Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, emphasized the significance of reaching this milestone but noted the ongoing challenges: “With over 2 million youth still using tobacco products, our efforts are not complete. We must persist in our public health initiatives to help all youth lead healthy, tobacco-free lives.”
This year, e-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students, reported at 5.9 percent. Nicotine pouches followed at 1.8 percent, with traditional cigarettes at 1.4 percent.
The CDC credits factors like price hikes, mass media campaigns highlighting the dangers of tobacco, and comprehensive smoke-free laws—including e-cigarettes—as key contributors to this downward trend.
However, disparities still exist in usage patterns among different student demographics. While tobacco use has significantly decreased among female and Hispanic students, it has unfortunately increased among American Indian and Alaska Native students.
Dr. Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, remarked on the progress made but stressed the need for continued effort: “We’re moving in the right direction, but we must remain proactive. It’s crucial to address disparities to ensure we uplift every community.”
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.