Teen Smoking Statistics in the United States

In 2019, teen smoking and vaping rates reached alarming highs, with over five million high school (27.5%) and middle school (10.5%) students reporting the regular use of tobacco products in the past 30 days. 

Since then, prevention efforts have ramped up, and FDA awareness campaigns have targeted teens across the country. Let’s understand where the matter stands today. 

Key Takeaways:

1. The 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) reported a decrease of 550,000 middle and high school students using tobacco compared to 2023, the lowest level in 25 years.
2. E-cigarette use declined from 2.13 million students in 2023 to 1.63 million in 2024.
3. Despite these declines, 1 in 12 middle and high school students still reported using tobacco in 2024.  
4. For the 11th year in a row, e-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product (5.9%) among youth who reported current tobacco product use. 
5. In 2024, nicotine pouches became the second most commonly used tobacco product among youth (1.8%), followed by cigarettes (1.4%) and cigars (1.2%).
6. The 2024 NYTS showed that tobacco use among female students dropped from 11.2% in 2023 to 7.7% in 2024.

Prevalence of Teen Smoking in the United States

• In 2024, 2.25 million middle and high school students reported using any tobacco product in the past 30 days, according to the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). This is a decline from 2.80 million in 2023. 
• According to the 2024 NYTS, 5.9% of students reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days.   

• Approximately 1 in 12 middle and high school students reported current tobacco use in the 2024 NYTS. 
• According to the 2024 NYTS, 10.1% of high school students (1.5 million) reported current use of any tobacco product. 
• Among the high school students surveyed in the 2024 NYTS, 3.7% used multiple tobacco products in the past 20 days. Here’s a breakdown of specific product use among high school students: 

• As per the 2024 NYTS, 5.4% of middle school students reported using any tobacco product in the past 30 days, with 2.1% using combustible tobacco products and 2.1% taking multiple tobacco products. 

• In the 2024 NYTS, 5.2 million middle and high school students reported ever using tobacco products.  
• According to the 2024 NYTS, tobacco product use in the past 30 days declined from 2.80 million (7.7%) in 2023 to 2.25 million (5.9%) in 2024. This is a 25-year low. 
• Cigarette smoking reached its lowest level ever in 2024, with only 1.4% of students reporting current use, according to the 2024 NYTS. 
• In the 2024 NYTS, over 1 in 4 youth e-cigarette users (26.3%) reported using nicotine products daily. 
• Data from the 2024 NYTS indicates that 1 out of every 100 middle school students and 1 out of every 42 high school students reported using nicotine pouches within the past 30 days.
• The 2024 NYTS reported that 1 of every 67 high school students had smoked cigars in the past 30 days. 
• The 2024 NYTS also shows that 1 in every 91 middle school students and 1 in every 59 high school students had smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days.

Initiation Age of Teen Smoking in the United States

• Tobacco use is initiated and established primarily during the ages of 10-19, according to the Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults report by the CDC. 
• Nearly 90% of adults in the U.S. who smoke daily first tried cigarettes by age 18, and 98% first tried cigarettes by age 26, according to the Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults report by the CDC.
• Each day in the U.S., around 1,500 youth aged 17 or younger smoke their first cigarette, according to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Motivators for Teen Smoking in the United States

• Over 8 out of 10 (87.6%) youth e-cigarette users used flavored products, with fruit, candy, and mint flavors being at the top, according to the 2024 NYTS. The appeal of these flavors may contribute to continued use. 
• In the 2021 NYTS, among youth who reported engaging in smoking, 75.7% reported exposure to marketing or advertising for any tobacco product.
• 7 in 10 U.S. middle and high school students reported being exposed to marketing for e-cigarettes in retail settings, according to the 2021 NYTS.  
• According to the 2021 NYTS survey, nearly 3 in 4 students (74%) who used social media reported seeing e-cigarette-related content. 
• The 2021 NYTS showed that one-third of middle and high school e-cigarette users received them from a friend:

Demographic Disparities in Teen Smoking in the United States

• Among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) students, 16.3% reported current use of any tobacco product in the 2024 NYTS, the highest compared to other groups. 

• In the 2024 NYTS, 8.5% of males and 7.7% of females reported using any tobacco product in the past 30 days. 

Tobacco Use Patterns Among Teens in the United States

• Among current youth nicotine pouch users, 29.3% reported using these products for at least 20 of the past 30 days, according to the 2024 NYTS. 
• The 2024 NYTS showed that approximately 2 in 5 students (49.2%) who had ever used a tobacco product currently used it. 
• According to the 2024 NYTS, the prevalence of any tobacco product use in the previous 30 days dropped from 10.0% in 2023 to 8.1% in 2024. 
• Among female students, any tobacco product use in the past 30 days dropped from 11.2% in 2023 to 7.7% in 2024.
• The 2024 NYTS showed that Hispanic students saw a decline in tobacco use, from 11.7% in 2023 to 8.4% in 2024.
• Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native students experienced an increase in tobacco use, going from 8.0% in 2023 to 16.3% in 2024, according to the 2024 NYTS.
• Among female students, e-cigarette use dropped from 9.3% in 2023 to 6.1% in 2024, while multiple-product use decreased from 3.4% to 2.5%—per the 2024 NYTS.
• In the 2024 NYTS, Hispanic students saw declines in e-cigarette use (8.5% to 6.1%), cigars (2.2% to 1.4%), hookahs (1.3% to 0.9%), and multiple product use (3.9% to 3.1%).
• According to the 2024 NYTS, the current use of any tobacco product among middle and high school students declined by an estimated 550,000 students compared to 2023—the lowest level ever recorded by the survey. 
• Among high school students surveyed in the 2024 NYTS, the current use of any tobacco product dropped from 12.6% in 2023 to 10.1% in 2024, and e-cigarette use declined from 10.0% to 7.8%.
• According to a 2023 study published in The Ochsner Journal titled “Trends in Cigarette Smoking Among United States Adolescents,” total cigarette use declined by 52.3% from 1991 to 2021, while occasional use decreased by 23.7%. This was the case for both boys and girls. 
• Daily cigarette use among boys declined to 0.8% in 2021—from 10.5% in 1991, while girls saw a 51.8% decrease, according to a 2023 study titled “Trends in Cigarette Smoking Among United States Adolescents”.

Anti-tobacco Efforts for Teens in the United States

• In the 2021 NYTS, 75.2% of middle and high school students reported seeing or hearing about anti-tobacco public education campaigns in the past year.
• The FDA’s “The Real Cost” campaign reached 15.8 million (60.9%) students, according to the 2021 NYTS. 
• Nearly 65.8% of high school students and 54.8% of middle school students recognized the “The Real Cost” campaign ad in 2021.

FAQs

How Do Smoking and Substance Use Overlap Among Teens?

Smoking often acts as a gateway to substance use, such as ketamine. Smokers may combine ketamine with cannabis or tobacco cigarettes to disassociate from their emotions and get a “trip.”

Can Smoking Cause Eating Disorders Like Bulimia?

Nicotine is often used as an appetite suppressant, and some teens may start smoking to control their weight. This behavior can create unhealthy relationships with food, which increases the risk of eating disorders like bulimia.

This means while smoking does not directly cause eating disorders, it can contribute to their development. 

Can Teen Smoking Contribute to Anxiety Disorders Later in Life?

Yes, teen smoking can increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders later in life. A study titled “​​Association Between Cigarette Smoking and Anxiety Disorders During Adolescence and Early Adulthood” published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that smoking during the teen years was associated with a higher risk of generalized anxiety disorder in early adulthood. Read more in our post on “Panic Disorder Statistics in the United States”.