NEW YORK — Teen smoking in the United States has reached an all-time low in 2024, with significant declines in overall youth tobacco use, according to a government report released Thursday. The findings indicate a marked decrease in the number of middle and high school students using various tobacco products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and hookahs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a 20% reduction in the estimated number of students who used at least one tobacco product in the past year, dropping from 2.8 million in 2023 to 2.25 million this year. This figure represents the lowest level of youth tobacco use since the CDC began tracking it in 1999. “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. However, Kittner emphasized that “our mission is far from complete.”
The substantial decline in tobacco use can largely be attributed to a previously reported drop in vaping among teens, which fell from 10% to about 8%. The youth e-cigarette usage rate also declined to under 6% this year, down from 7.7% last year, marking the lowest rate recorded in the past decade. E-cigarettes remain the most commonly used tobacco products among teens, followed closely by nicotine pouches.
Other tobacco products have also seen decreased usage. Twenty-five years ago, nearly 30% of high school students reported smoking, but this year that figure dropped to just 1.7%, down from 1.9% last year. Although this year’s decline is statistically insignificant, it still reflects the lowest smoking rate since the CDC began its survey. Middle school smoking rates have also hit record lows, and hookah use has decreased from 1.1% to 0.7%.
These results stem from the CDC’s annual survey, which involved nearly 30,000 middle and high school students across 283 schools, achieving a response rate of approximately 33%. Health officials attribute the declines to a combination of factors, including price increases, public health education campaigns, age restrictions, and more stringent enforcement against retailers and manufacturers selling tobacco products to minors.
Among high school students, overall tobacco use has fallen to 10%, down from nearly 13%, while e-cigarette use dipped below 8%, a decline from 10%. However, no significant change was observed among middle school students, who typically use tobacco products less frequently.
Current tobacco use among girls and Hispanic students has decreased, while rates have risen among American Indian or Alaska Native students. Additionally, the use of nicotine pouches has increased among white adolescents, highlighting the shifting landscape of youth tobacco consumption in the U.S.