🌅 Youth Smoking Is at an All-Time Low

Sunrise Stat
August 18, 2026

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SOURCE

New data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s annual survey of youth tobacco use shows 1.4% of American high school and middle school students reported smoking cigarettes in 2025, marking a new all-time low. The figure represents a remarkable decrease from 1997, when a record-high 36% of U.S. high schoolers reported currently smoking cigarettes and 70% reported having tried smoking at least once.

Experts say the decades-long reduction in smoking among young Americans is indeed a cause for celebration, particularly because smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. and worldwide. At the same time, the reduction in smoking has been tied to the rise of alternative tobacco products like e-cigarettes, better known as “vapes,” and nicotine pouches. Nonetheless, the 2025 survey found 5.2% of students reported currently vaping, down from 9.4% in 2022, while the share using nicotine pouches has remained relatively low and stable (1.7% reported using pouches in 2025, up from 1.1% in 2022).

While the numbers are difficult to compare directly, experts say global surveys suggest youth tobacco use is far lower in the U.S. than in comparable nations. The success is largely owed to a strong combination of public health policy and messaging, including the 2019 decision by the FDA to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21. In April 2026, a study published by researchers at UC San Diego found local bans on flavored tobacco products are also an effective strategy to reduce vaping among young people.