More than 2 million students use tobacco products. Here's what to know as school begins

The useful part

As students head back to school, tobacco prevention advocates are encouraging parents and educators to talk with young people about the risks associated with e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. middle and high school students reported using tobacco products in 2025, according to the FDA and CDC's National Youth Tobacco Survey. The survey found that 7.2% of students, or about 2.01 million youth, reported using a tobacco product within the previous 30 days.

How it works

• While youth tobacco use has declined significantly over the past several years, advocates say the figures underscore why prevention efforts remain a priority.
• More than 4 in 10 youth e-cigarette users reported vaping on at least 20 of the previous 30 days, according to the FDA survey, while more than 1 in 4 said they used e-cigarettes daily.
• Flavors continue to play a major role The survey found flavored products remain especially popular among young users.
• Fruit flavors were the most commonly used, followed by candy, dessert and other sweet flavors.
• E-cigarettes remain the most commonly used tobacco product among youth, according to the FDA survey.

What to take from it

About 1.44 million middle and high school students reported current e-cigarette use. Nearly 9 in 10 youth who used e-cigarettes reported using flavored varieties, according to the FDA. The FDA survey also found that approximately 460,000 students reported using nicotine pouches, making them the second most commonly used tobacco product among youth after e-cigarettes.

Example or evidence