A new government study suggests U.S. teen smoking rates reached an all-time low this year.
The study was a survey of American youth carried out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The survey involved middle school students – which includes grades six through eight – and high school students in grades nine through 12. Nearly 30,000 students from 283 U.S. schools took part in the effort, which was carried out from January to May.
An estimated 33 percent of youth took part in the voluntary survey.
The study showed a 20 percent drop in the number of middle and high school students who said they recently used at least one tobacco product. These include cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, nicotine patches and hookahs.
That number decreased from 2.8 million last year to 2.25 million this year. The result suggested the change was the lowest usage rate of those products since the CDC survey began in 1999.
The Associated Press (AP) reports the drop is largely explained by another recent government survey showing e-cigarette use among U.S. youth in 2024 fell to its lowest level in 10 years.
The youth e-cigarette rate fell to under six percent this year, a drop of 7.7 percent over last year. That was the lowest rate at any time during the past 10 years. Government records show e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco products among teens. The second most common is the nicotine patch.
In 1999, nearly 30 percent of American high school students smoked. In 2024, it was just 1.7 percent. Currently, the share of middle school students who smoke is also at its lowest rate. Recent use of hookahs also dropped, from 1.1 to 0.7 percent.
CDC officials said the decreases are linked to several measures. These include product cost increases, public health education campaigns, age restrictions and more aggressive enforcement actions against makers and sellers to children.
Among high school students, use of any tobacco product dropped from 13 to 10 percent in 2024 while e-cigarette use fell from 10 to eight percent. The survey showed there was no change reported for middle school students who generally vape or smoke less than older children.
The study found that tobacco use among girls and Hispanic students fell. But it rose among American Indian and Alaska Native students. The survey also showed the current use of nicotine patches increased among white youth.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.
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Words in This Story
survey – n. an examination of people’s opinions or behavior that is made by asking people questions
patch – n. a small container that sits on the skin and releases medication or other substances into the body
hookah – n. a device with a pipe that draws smoke through a container of water before it is breathed in
vape – v. to inhale or exhale vapor produced by electronic cigarettes or similar devices