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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — RTI International, in collaboration with staff from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products, has co-authored a new analysis showing that youth tobacco use has declined over the past several years and remained low in 2025.
The analysis, published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research and based on the 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey, revealed that 7.2% of U.S. middle and high school students—about 2 million youth—reported using one or more tobacco products in the past 30 days in 2025. The analysis also found that tobacco use declined from 2022 to 2025, while estimates changed little between 2024 and 2025.
“Declines in youth tobacco use over the past several years demonstrate that efforts to prevent youth tobacco use are working,” said Lauren McCarl Dutra, a social scientist at RTI and co-author. “At the same time, it’s important to remain vigilant, particularly when monitoring youth use of nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes."
The nationally representative 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey included more than 23,000 students in grades 6 through 12. The analysis focused on the current use of a variety of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, combusted tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, as well as trends over time.
E-cigarettes remained the most used product in 2025, with 5.2% of students reporting having used them in the past 30 days. Approximately 89.4% of students who reported using e-cigarettes said they used flavored products, with fruit, candy and mint among the most common flavors.
The researchers also found that the percentage of youth using nicotine pouches increased between 2022 and 2025, among high school students, with about 460,000 youth reporting using nicotine pouches in the past 30 days in 2025; however, use was still low and remained stable over the past year.
The National Youth Tobacco Survey is conducted annually by the FDA. RTI has supported the work since 2022, creating the study’s sampling frame, recruiting a nationally representative sample of schools, and overseeing data collection. Data collection generally takes place between January and May, after which RTI prepares data files, analytical weights and documentation.
Read the full analysis (via Nicotine & Tobacco Research)
Learn more about RTI’s nicotine and tobacco research
Learn more about RTI’s surveys and data collection capabilities
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For more information, visit www.rti.org.
