Tobacco use amongst youngsters is falling to its lowest stage in 25 years as fewer folks flip to e-cigarettes
Zyn nicotine cans and pouches are seen on a table in New York City on January 29, 2024.
Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images
Tobacco product use among middle and high school students has fallen to its lowest level in 25 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday.
The CDC and FDA collected data on youth tobacco product use through the National Youth Tobacco Survey. It found that 2.25 million middle and high school students reported using tobacco products in the past 30 days, up from 2.8 million in 2023.
The decline reflected a decline in the number of students who reported using electronic cigarettes, from 2.13 million in 2023 to 1.63 million in 2024.
“We are on the right track when it comes to reducing tobacco use among our nation’s youth,” Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said in a news release Thursday. “But we must not take our foot off the gas. Continued vigilance is needed to further reduce all forms of tobacco use among youth. Addressing inequalities remains an essential part of this effort to ensure we leave no one behind.”
Female students reported the largest decline in use overall, and Hispanic students also reported declines in use of all tobacco products. Authorities said evidence-based strategies, including price increases, media campaigns and smoking ban measures, are likely to have led to a decline in tobacco consumption.
Among students who reported using tobacco products, e-cigarettes remain the most commonly used tobacco product at 5.9%, but nicotine pouches are now the second most commonly used tobacco product at 1.8%, followed by cigarettes at 1. 4%.
Nicotine pouch use among students actually increased, although not by enough to be considered significant, from 1.2% in 2023 to 1.8% in 2024, the CDC said in September.
“Youth use of tobacco products in any form – including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches – is unsafe,” said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, in a press release in September. “It is important that we remain vigilant and committed to public health efforts to ensure all youth can live healthy, tobacco-free lives.”
Zyn was the most popular nicotine pouch brand at 68.7%, compared to the second most popular brand On at 14.2%.
Zyn, the oral nicotine pouch brand from Philip Morris Internationalexploded in popularity on social media earlier this year, leading to a nationwide shortage. Philip Morris announced plans in July to invest $600 million in a new Zyn production facility in Colorado in response to increased demand.
The survey was distributed to 29,861 students from 283 schools between January 22 and May 22.
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