Teens are vaping at their lowest level in 10 years, according to a new study, though a rise in the use of nicotine pouches is causing concern among health officials.
The rate of teens vaping fell below 6% during 2024, down from 7.7% last year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday.
An estimated 1.63 million U.S. middle school and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2024, the CDC said, marking a “significant decline” from the 2023 level of 2.13 million kids.
That’s also one-third of the number of teens who vaped in 2019, the peak of underage vaping, when high-nicotine vapes such as Juul were all the rage.
Officials said the momentum must continue.
“This is a monumental public health win,” FDA’s tobacco director Brian King told reporters. “But we can’t rest on our laurels. There’s clearly more work to do to further reduce youth use.”
The latest data came from a survey of more than 29,000 students in grades 6-12 who filled out an online questionnaire about overall tobacco use. The full report will also measure rates of smoking cigarettes and cigars, which are also at historic lows.
Use of Elf Bar, the most popular e-cigarette among teens, dropped 36% after the FDA warned stores and distributors against selling the cheap, disposable vapes from China. However, 12% of the teens who were still vaping were using both Vuse and Juul.
Use of nicotine pouches meanwhile remained mostly consistent at about 480,000 students in 2024, but the CDC did note a “small but statistically significant” uptick in use and sales between 2022 and 2024.
Sales of the dissolvable pouches, which are filled with straight nicotine that gets placed between a user’s lip and gum, have been rising across the nation since 2016, and “their use among U.S. youths has become concerning,” the CDC said.
“All pouches and most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can harm the developing adolescent brain,” the agency added.