Teen smoking hits 25-year low, CDC studies

There was a 20% drop within the estimated variety of center and highschool college students who just lately used not less than one tobacco product, together with cigarettes, digital cigarettes, nicotine pouches and hookahs. The quantity went from 2.8 million final 12 months to 2.25 million this 12 months — the bottom because the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s key survey started in 1999.

“Reaching a 25-year low for youth tobacco product use is an extraordinary milestone for public health,” mentioned Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of CDC’s Workplace on Smoking and Well being, in a press release. Nevertheless, “our mission is far from complete.”

A beforehand reported drop in vaping largely explains the general decline in tobacco use from 10% to about 8% of scholars, well being officers mentioned.

The youth e-cigarette charge fell to beneath 6% this 12 months, down from 7.7% final 12 months — the bottom at any level within the final decade. E-cigarettes are essentially the most generally used tobacco merchandise amongst teenagers, adopted by nicotine pouches.

Use of different merchandise has been dropping, too.

Twenty-five years in the past, almost 30% of highschool college students smoked. This 12 months, it was simply 1.7%, down from the 1.9%. That one-year decline is so small it isn’t thought-about statistically important, however marks the bottom because the survey started 25 years in the past. The center faculty charge is also at its lowest mark.

Current use of hookahs additionally dropped, from 1.1% to 0.7%.

The outcomes come from an annual CDC survey, which included almost 30,000 center and highschool college students at 283 faculties. The response charge this 12 months was about 33%.

Officers attribute the declines to plenty of measures, starting from value will increase and public well being training campaigns to age restrictions and extra aggressive enforcement in opposition to retailers and producers promoting merchandise to children.

Amongst highschool college students, use of any tobacco product dropped to 10%, from almost 13% and e-cigarette use dipped beneath 8%, from 10%. However there was no change reported for center faculty college students, who much less generally vape or smoke or use different merchandise,

Present use of tobacco fell amongst ladies and Hispanic college students, however rose amongst American Indian or Alaska Native college students. And present use of nicotine pouches elevated amongst white children.

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