Youth tobacco product use at a 25-year low, yet disparities persist

• To assess the use of tobacco products among youth, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) used data from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, a cross-sectional, school-based, self-administered web-based survey of U.S. middle (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12) students.
• During 2023-2024, among all middle school and high school students, current (previous 30-day) use of any tobacco product declined by an estimated 550,000 students, largely driven by the decline in high school e-cigarette use (from 1.56 million to 1.21 million), and reaching the lowest level ever measured by the National Youth Tobacco Survey. Despite these declines, approximately 2.25 million (8.1% or 1 in 12) middle and high school students reported current use of any tobacco product during 2024; this included 10.1% of high school students and 5.4% of middle school students.  E-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. youth in 2024; nicotine pouches were the second most commonly used tobacco product.  in 2024, 1.7% of high school students and 1.1% of middle school students reported current cigarette smoking, the lowest prevalence ever recorded by NYTS.  During 2023-2024, any tobacco product use declined for Hispanic students, increased among American Indian or Alaska Native students, and remained stable for all other racial and ethnic groups, highlighting disparities in tobacco product use.
• Youth use of tobacco products — in any form — is unsafe.  Tobacco use has many negative health consequences, and nicotine use during adolescence can be uniquely harmful.  Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm brain development, which continues until about age 25.
• Preventing and reducing youth tobacco use requires a comprehensive approach, including actions at the national, state, and local levels.  Efforts aimed at reducing disparities are a critical part of tobacco prevention and control measures.

The article is available online at bit.ly/mm7341a2  or https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7341a2.htm?s_cid=mm7341a2_w

The press release is available online at: Youth Tobacco Product Use at a 25-Year Low, Yet Disparities Persist | CDC Newsroom or https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p1017-youth-tobacco-use.html