Youth Tobacco Use: Results from the National Youth Tobacco Survey
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2020 Findings on All Tobacco Use
The data show youth use of any tobacco product declining, with an estimated 1.73 million fewer youth currently using any tobacco product in 2020 (4.47 million) compared to 2019 (6.20 million).
The results showed 23.6% of high school and 6.7% of middle school students reported currently using any tobacco product in 2020. In addition, current use of any combustible tobacco products, multiple tobacco products, e-cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco decreased among both high and middle school students between 2019 and 2020. Despite these encouraging declines, the survey did not show significant decreases in the use of cigarettes, hookah, pipe tobacco, or heated tobacco products.
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2020 Findings on E-Cigarette Use
In fall 2020, FDA and CDC released findings from the 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey showing that 1.8 million fewer U.S. youth are currently using e-cigarettes compared to last year. However, youth e-cigarette use has increased dramatically since 2011, and 3.6 million youth still currently use e-cigarettes. Moreover, the data shows an alarming increase in the number of youth who use disposable e-cigarettes and more than 8 out of 10 youth e-cigarette users report use of flavored products. In addition, almost 40 percent of high school users are using an e-cigarette on 20 or more days out of the month and almost a quarter of them use e-cigarettes every day, indicating a strong dependence on nicotine among youth.
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Learn about the Youth Tobacco Prevention Plan and FDA's ongoing strategies to reduce youth access and use of e-cigarettes.
Goals of NYTS
FDA is committed to a science-based approach that addresses public health issues associated with tobacco use. We collaborate with CDC on this nationally representative survey of middle and high school students that focuses exclusively on tobacco use. NYTS was designed to provide national data on long-term, intermediate, and short-term indicators key to the design, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive tobacco prevention and control programs.
Additional Resources
- Tobacco Product Use among Middle and High School Students, United States, 2020
- Get the Latest Facts on Teen Tobacco Use
- National Survey Shows Encouraging Decline in Overall Youth E-Cigarette Use; Concerning Uptick in Use of Disposable Products
- E-Cigarette Use among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2020
- Order Free Print Copies of the 2020 NYTS Infographic
- 2019 NYTS Infographic
- 2018 NYTS Infographic
- Vital Signs: Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2011–2018
- CDC Historical NYTS Data and Documentation
- National Youth Tobacco Survey at CDC