Teen smoking in America is at an all-time low this year—or at least at the lowest level since the CDC’s survey of tobacco use among middle and high schoolers began in 1999. The decline was mainly due to fewer students vaping.
Overall tobacco use among middle and high schoolers dropped from 12.6 to 10.1 percent from 2023 to 2024. E-cigarettes were still the most popular tobacco product among U.S. teens—but their use decreased from 10 percent to 7.8 percent of young people surveyed. These figures represent current use, defined as use in the past 30 days.
Nicotine pouches were the second most popular. For some reason, the study didn’t mention the overall year-over-year trend in people using ZYN and similar pouches, but it did point out that use over the past year increased among white students, from 1.4 percent to 2.2 percent.
Two other trends they pointed out, in contrast with each other: While tobacco use declined among female and Hispanic students, it increased dramatically among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students.
Needless to say, the CDC is pretty happy overall.
“Reaching a 25-year low for youth tobacco product use is an extraordinary milestone for public health,” said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, 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.”
Despite the positive results, there is still more work to do when it comes to tobacco product use among middle and high school students. According to the CDC, “to prevent and reduce all forms of youth tobacco product use” will involve a “comprehensive and sustained implementation of evidence-based tobacco control strategies, including tobacco product regulation and enforcement.”
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The post Teen Smoking Hits Record Low, With Even Vaping Decreasing in the U.S. appeared first on VICE.
