Zyn nicotine cases and pouches are seen on a table in New York City on Jan. 29, 2024. Michael M.
Santiago | Getty Images Tobacco product use among middle and high school students has dropped to a 25-year low, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday.
The CDC and FDA recorded data on youth tobacco product use through the National Youth Tobacco Survey, which found that 2.25 million middle and high school students reported they had used any tobacco product in the past 30 days, down from 2.8 million in 2023.
The drop reflected a decline in students who said they were using electronic cigarettes, down to 1.63 million in 2024 from 2.13 million in 2023.
"We're headed in the right direction when it comes to reducing tobacco product use among our nation's youth," Brian King, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in a press release Thursday. "But we can't take our foot off the gas. Continued vigilance is needed to continue to reduce all forms of tobacco product use among youth.
Addressing disparities remains an essential part of these efforts to ensure that we don't leave anyone behind." Female students reported the biggest decline in use across the board, and Hispanic students also reported a drop in use of any tobacco product. Evidence-based strategies, including price increases, media campaigns and smoke-free policies, are likely part of what caused tobacco product use to drop, according to the agen.