WASHINGTON USA, (CDC) – Current tobacco product use among U.S. middle and high school students has dropped to the lowest recorded level in 25 years. This is according to newly released data from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). Within the past year alone, at least half a million fewer students are using tobacco products, contributing to this important progress.
In 2024, 2.25 million middle and high school students reported current use (use on one or more days during the past 30 days) of any tobacco product, compared to 2.80 million in 2023. This decline was largely attributable to the significant drop in the number of students who reported current e-cigarette use (2.13 million youth in 2023 compared to 1.63 million youth in 2024).
Within the past year, a significant decline also occurred in current hookah use (290,000 in 2023 compared to 190,000 in 2024). Cigarette smoking reached the lowest level ever recorded by the survey, with only 1.4 percent of students reporting current use in 2024.
“Reaching a 25-year low for youth tobacco product use is an extraordinary milestone for public health. However, with more than 2 million youth using tobacco products and certain groups not experiencing declines in use, our mission is far from complete,” said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. “We must remain committed to public health efforts to ensure all youth can live healthy, tobacco-free lives.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analyzed NYTS data to assess the use of nine tobacco products among US middle school (grades 6–8) and high school (grades 9–12) students. Detailed information on use of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches from the 2024 NYTS was recently published. Today’s release provides further data from the survey, including findings on other types of tobacco product use and detailed breakdowns of tobacco product use by school level, sex and race and ethnicity.
Youth e-cigarette use declined to the lowest level in a decade; however, for the 11th year in a row, e-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product (5.9%) among youth who reported current tobacco product use. In 2024, nicotine pouches became the second most commonly used tobacco product among youth (1.8%), followed by cigarettes (1.4%), cigars (1.2%), smokeless tobacco (1.2%), other oral nicotine products (1.2%), heated tobacco products (0.8%), hookahs (0.7%) and pipe tobacco (0.5%).
The report also found varying progress across population groups. For example, during 2023-2024, current use of any tobacco product, e-cigarettes and multiple tobacco products all significantly declined among female students, and current use of any tobacco product, e-cigarettes, cigars, hookahs and multiple tobacco products declined among Hispanic students. In contrast, during 2023-2024, current use of any tobacco product, e-cigarettes, oral nicotine products, any combustible tobacco product and multiple tobacco products all increased among American Indian or Alaska Native students, and current use of nicotine pouches increased among White students. No significant changes occurred in current use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, heated tobacco products and pipe tobacco for all assessed race and ethnicity groups.
“We’re headed in the right direction when it comes to reducing tobacco product use among our nation’s youth,” said Brian King, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “But we can’t take our foot off the gas. Continued vigilance is needed to continue to reduce all forms of tobacco product use among youth. Addressing disparities remains an essential part of these efforts to ensure that we don’t leave anyone behind.”
The observed decline in tobacco product use is likely the result of multiple factors, including the implementation of evidence-based strategies at the national, state and local levels. Evidence-based tobacco prevention strategies include price increases, mass media campaigns to educate youth about the harmful effects of all tobacco products, and comprehensive smoke-free policies that include e-cigarettes. The FDA also continues to regulate the tobacco product marketplace by conducting thorough premarket review and using the full scope of its compliance and enforcement tools across the supply chain – including manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers.
Use of tobacco products in any form is unsafe, and nearly all tobacco product use begins during adolescence. Given the negative health consequences of tobacco use and the unique harms associated with adolescent nicotine exposure, preventing youth tobacco product use is imperative. Efforts aimed at reducing youth tobacco product use and related disparities are also a critical part of tobacco prevention and control efforts.
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