Teen smoking in the US has reached an all-time low this year, marking a significant drop in youth tobacco use overall.
The estimated number of middle and high school students who recently used at least one tobacco product decreased from 2.8 million to 2.25 million, the lowest level since the CDC’s survey began in 1999.
The big picture: A major contributor to the decline in overall tobacco use is the significant drop in vaping, with the youth e-cigarette rate falling to under 6%, the lowest in the last decade.
- Other tobacco products, such as cigarettes and hookahs, have seen a decrease in use as well, with smoking rates among high school students dropping from nearly 30% to 17% over the past 25 years.
Driving the news: The results are based on an annual CDC survey of nearly 30,000 middle and high school students, with responses reflecting measures such as price increases, public health education campaigns, age restrictions, and aggressive enforcement against underage tobacco sales.
- While the overall tobacco use among students has decreased, there was a slight rise in tobacco use among American Indian or Alaska Native students and an increase in nicotine pouch use among White kids.
