Smoking among teens is at its lowest level in 25 years, according to the CDC

The estimated number of middle and high school students who recently used at least one tobacco product, including cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, nicotine pouches and hookahs, fell by 20%. The number rose from 2.8 million last year to 2.25 million this year – the lowest since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began its flagship survey in 1999.

“Reaching a 25-year low in youth tobacco product use is an extraordinary public health milestone,” Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of the CDC Office of Smoking and Health, said in a statement. However, “our mission is far from complete.”

A previously reported decline in e-cigarette use largely explains the overall decline in tobacco use from 10% to about 8% of students, health officials said.

E-cigarette use among youth has fallen to under 6% this year from 7.7% last year – the lowest ever in the last decade. E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco products among teens, followed by nicotine pouches.

The use of other products has also declined.

25 years ago, almost 30% of high school students smoked. This year it was just 1.7%, down from 1.9%. This one-year decline is so small that it is not considered statistically significant, but it represents the lowest level since the survey began 25 years ago. The middle school rate is also at its lowest level.

Hookah use has also declined recently, from 1.1% to 0.7%.

The results come from an annual CDC survey of nearly 30,000 middle and high school students in 283 schools. The response rate this year was about 33%.

Officials attribute the declines to a range of measures ranging from price increases and public health education campaigns to age restrictions and tougher enforcement measures against retailers and manufacturers that sell products to children.

Among high school students, use of any tobacco product fell from nearly 13% to 10%, and e-cigarette use fell from 10% to under 8%. However, no changes were reported for middle school students, who were less likely to vape or smoke or use other products.

Current tobacco use decreased among girls and Hispanic students but increased among American Indian or Alaska Native students. And current nicotine pouch use has increased among white children.