Youth vaping declined in past year, new federal data shows

The number of U.S. kids who are using e-cigarettes has continued to tumble, new federal data show, prompting government health officials to declare an incremental victory in their fight against youth tobacco use (Source: “Youth vaping continues its tumble from a Juul-fueled high,” Stat News, Sept. 5).

Around 6% of middle and high school students used vapes in 2024, down from 8% last year, and a record high of 20% in 2019, according to a survey released Thursday by the FDA and the CDC.

“I want to be unequivocally clear that this continued decline in e-cigarette use among our nation’s youth is a monumental public health win,” said Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.

The data was collected through the National Youth Tobacco Survey, a questionnaire distributed to middle and high schoolers across the country each year and then analyzed by the FDA and CDC. The survey has asked about e-cigarette use since 2011.