Nicotine and tobacco product use among US middle and high school students, 2024-25

Background The overall prevalence of youth nicotine and tobacco product use has declined over recent years, but the product landscape continues to change rapidly. This study examined changes between 2024 and 2025 in the prevalence of nicotine and tobacco product use among US middle and high school students and described shifts in product characteristics among current e-cigarette and nicotine pouch users. Methods Repeated cross-sectional study using nationally representative data from the 2024 and 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), a school-based survey of US students in grades 6–12 (approximately ages 11–18). The analytic sample included 29,678 students in 2024 and 23,557 students in 2025. Adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated using survey-weighted modified Poisson regression. Results In 2025, 7.2% (95% CI, 6.4–8.2%) of US middle and high school students reported past 30-day use of any nicotine/tobacco product, compared with 8.1% (7.4–8.9%) in 2024; this modest difference was compatible with no change (aPR 0.89; 95% CI 0.77–1.02). E-cigarettes remained the most commonly used product (5.2%, 4.5–5.9%); 1.7% (1.4–2.1%) used nicotine pouches, 1.7% (1.4–1.9%) smoked cigarettes, and 2.7% (2.4–3.1%) smoked any combustible tobacco product. Among current e-cigarette users, 40.7% (36.7–44.9%) reported frequent use and 27.0% (24.0-30.2%) reported daily use in 2025. Disposable e-cigarette use increased from 55.8% (52.6–59.0%) in 2024 to 66.7% (62.5–70.7%) in 2025, while pod/cartridge device use declined. Flavored product use was reported by 90.0% of e-cigarette users and 88.0% of nicotine pouch users. The most commonly reported brands were Geek Bar among e-cigarette users (61.1%) and ZYN among nicotine pouch users (69.4%). Conclusions Overall youth nicotine and tobacco use remains relatively low, but the product landscape is being reshaped, with increasing disposable device use and shifting brand preferences. These findings highlight the importance of ongoing, product-specific surveillance to inform public health strategies and regulatory policies.