Cigarette smoking and other tobacco use by American teenagers has reached its lowest point in 25 years, according to the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey.
In a joint statement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported teen tobacco use fell by 500,000 in the last 12 months.
In 2024, about 2.25 million students reported using tobacco products at least once in the past 30 days, down from 2.80 million in 2023.
The decline is mainly due to fewer students using e-cigarettes, which dropped from 2.13 million in 2023 to 1.63 million in 2024. Hookah use also fell from 290,000 to 190,000 students. Cigarette smoking hit a record low, with only 1.4% of students currently smoking.
Dr. Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, emphasized the importance of continuing public health efforts to reduce tobacco use among youth. Despite the progress, Kittner pointed out that over 2 million young people still use tobacco products, and some groups have not seen declines.
The CDC and FDA analyzed data from the survey, which looked at the use of nine tobacco products among students in grades 6-12. E-cigarettes remained the most popular, used by 5.9% of students, followed by nicotine pouches, cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and other products.
Demographic breakdown
The report also highlighted differences among demographic groups. For example, tobacco use decreased among female and Hispanic students but increased among American Indian or Alaska Native students and in nicotine pouch use among White students.
Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, stressed the need for ongoing efforts to reduce tobacco use and address disparities. Strategies like price increases, media campaigns, and smoke-free policies have contributed to the decline.
“We’re headed in the right direction when it comes to reducing tobacco product use among our nation’s youth,” King said. “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.”
Photo credit: HWM
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