UPDATE: Results from the Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey

In November 2022, FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released federal data from the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) on youth tobacco use in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: “Tobacco Product Use among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2022.”  

Findings show that in 2022, more than 1 in 10 middle and high school students (3.08 million) had used a tobacco product during the past 30 days – including 16.5% of high school and 4.5% of middle school students.

Current Use

• 11.3% (3.08 million) of middle and high school students reported current use (past 30 days) of any tobacco product
• Approximately 3.7% (1.00 million) of all students reported currently smoking any combustible tobacco product
• 3.5% (960,000) reported current use of multiple (≥2) tobacco products

Most Commonly Used Types of Devices

• E-cigarettes (9.4%)
• Cigars (1.9%)
• Cigarettes (1.6%)
• Smokeless (1.3%)
• Hookahs (1.1%)
• Nicotine Pouches (1.1%)
• Heated Tobacco Products (1.0%)
• Pipe Tobacco (0.6%)

Demographics and Social Determinants of Health 

Current Use (past 30 days) of Any Tobacco Product (middle and high school):

• 13.5% of non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) students
• 16.0% of those identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual
• 16.6% of those identifying as transgender
• 18.3% of those reporting severe symptoms of psychological distress
• 12.5% of those with low family affluence
• 27.2% of those with low academic achievements (mostly Fs)

Methodology

The 2022 data was collected between January and May of 2022, using an online survey among U.S. middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12) students. The use of an online survey allows all eligible students to participate in a classroom or at home during a designated class period as part of a class activity, however most students completed the survey in a classroom setting. Prior to 2021, the survey was solely conducted in a classroom setting. Due to changes in methodology, including differences in survey administration and data collection procedures in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to compare estimates from 2022 with those from prior NYTS waves is limited.

Read full article here.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration – 2022-11-15.