America’s parents can now breathe a little easier as the tobacco industry’s influence on youth starts to fade. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco use among middle and high school students has reached a 25-year low, with only 2.25M students reporting usage in the past 30 days. This decline is attributed to steep price hikes, effective media campaigns highlighting the dangers of tobacco, and comprehensive smoke-free policies. CDC’s Deirdre Lawrence Kittner hailed this reduction as “an extraordinary milestone for public health.”

• E-cigarettes remain the most popular tobacco product among teens, with 5.9% using them in 2024, while cigarette smoking has dropped to a record low of only 1.4%.
• Usage rates for cigars, smokeless tobacco, and other oral nicotine products held steady at 1.2% each, followed by heated tobacco at 0.8% and hookahs at 0.7%.

Clouded vision: While weed and vaping usage continue to rise, nicotine pouches are emerging as the new trend among teens. These tobacco-free sachets, marketed as a cleaner alternative to traditional smoking and vaping, have quickly become the second most popular tobacco product among this age group, with a usage rate of 1.8%. Their discreet size and variety of flavors make them appealing but potentially addictive to young users. However, Kittner warns, “Using any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, is unsafe for youth.”