Tobacco product use among middle, high school students hits 25-year low: Report

Tobacco product use among U.S. pre-teens and teens has fallen to the lowest levels seen in 25 years, according to new federal data published Thursday.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration analyzed data from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey to assess tobacco use among middle school and high school students in the U.S.

Between 2023 and 2024, current use of any tobacco product declined to 2.25 million students from 2.80 million.

The decline is largely driven by the drop in the number of students who reported current e-cigarette use: 2.13 million in 2023 compared to 1.63 million in 2024, the report found. Usage among high school students in particular dropped to 1.56 million from 1.21 million over the same period.

This not only marks a 25-year low but also the lowest level ever measured by the National Youth Tobacco Survey, according to the report.

"Reaching a 25-year low for youth tobacco product use is an extraordinary milestone for public health," Dr. Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, said in a statement. "However, with more than 2 million youth using tobacco products and certain groups not experiencing declines in use, our mission is far from complete. We must remain committed to public health efforts to ensure all youth can live healthy, tobacco-free lives."

Although e-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product among adolescents in 2024, e-cigarette use among students declined to the lowest level seen in more than a decade.

Nicotine pouches were the second most commonly used tobacco product followed by cigarettes, cigars and smokeless tobacco, respectively.

Despite the declines, the report found some disparities by race and ethnicity. Current use of any tobacco product rose among American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) students while current use of nicotine pouches increased among white students. This mirrors nationwide trends showing AI/AN adults have the highest rate of commercial tobacco use in the U.S. compared to other racial and ethnic groups.

"We're headed in the right direction when it comes to reducing tobacco product use among our nation's youth," Dr. Brian King, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in statement. "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," he added.

The report found that multiple factors have influenced the start and continued use of tobacco products among adolescents including the availability of flavors that appeal to pre-teens and teens as well as misperceptions of harm, such as the belief that certain tobacco products are not harmful.

Additionally, the report found the decline in tobacco product use is likely linked to several strategies that have been implemented across the U.S. including price increases, mass media campaigns to educate about the harmful effects of tobacco product and smoke-free policies.

"Given the negative health consequences of tobacco use and the unique harms associated with adolescent nicotine exposure, prevention of youth tobacco product use is crucial," the report's authors wrote.