Dr. Brian King, director of the FDA’s cigarette Products exhibit, announced that teen smoking rates have reached a record low, and vape utilization has dropped to its lowest level in nearly a decade. Despite the significant progress, the FDA said it will continue to take steps to protect teens from cigarette products.
On December 4, U.S. time, the Drug Administration (FDA) presented Cigarette Products (CTP) Dr. Brian King, Director, announced that according to the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey Report, the utilization rate of youth tobacco products fell to a 25-year low. Teen smoking rates have reached record lows, while vape use has dropped to its lowest level in nearly a decade. This achievement is the result of multiple efforts, including policy implementation, education, and strict federal and regional enforcement. Despite the significant progress, the FDA said it will continue to take steps to protect teens from cigarette products.
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As the FDA pushes for action, youth use of tobacco products continues to decline
As director of the FDA’s Presentation of Cigarette Products (CTP), I often reflect on my communications with the public, especially those behind cigarette use statistics. This reflection goes back to the early stages of my career. At the time. I was working for a tobacco quitline, answering calls every day from people who were desperate to quit. They quit for different reasons: to see their grandchildren alive, to walk down a wedding aisle with their children, or to travel with their spouses. However, these people have one heartbreaking thing in common – a deep desire to spend time with their families and share life’s precious moments.
We know that most adults who use cigarette products were first exposed to cigarettes when they were teenagers. Therefore, keeping cigarette products out of the hands of young people is one of our core tasks. The recently released 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey reports a huge victory for public health: Youth cigarette commodity utilization has fallen to a 25-year low. Teen smoking is at an all-time low. In addition, the decline in the utilization of vapes has contributed to this progress, and the use of vapes by teenagers has fallen to the lowest level in nearly a decade.
This achievement is the result of collaboration between all levels of government and organizations, including national, state, local, regional, and tribal efforts. The FDA has taken a comprehensive and robust approach to cigarette regulation at the national level – and that’s no coincidence. Since the CTP was established in 2009, the number of teen cigarette product users in the United States has decreased from 4.67 million to 2.25 million in 2024.
It is important to note that the FDA’s work in this area is not over. The CTP’s policy agenda provides guidance and transparency to our program, including current and long-term priorities. For example, the FDA recently passed a final rule that clarifies age limits for the sale of cigarette goods. Most adults who smoke daily smoked their first cigarette when they were young, making it especially important to control the federal minimum age of sale of 21.
Another way to protect youth is to review applications for new cigarette commodities. One of the focuses of the CTP review is to consider adolescents who may start using these products. To date, we have put more than 26 million applications into action, including denying licenses to sell vapes with designs and flavors that appeal to teenagers, such as candy bars and fruit.
At the same time, we also approved the sale of 34 vape brands, including products with cigarette and menthol flavors. These approved goods and devices have undergone rigorous scientific review, and the FDA has determined public health standards that meet the requirements of the law, that is, the balance between the risks of the goods and the health benefits of the overall population is achieved by the law. For flavored vapes, this includes confirming that it has greater benefits for smokers than regular cigarette-flavored vapes, such as switching completely or significantly reducing smoking to offset their potential risks to youth.
The FDA also protects youth from cigarette commodities through enforcement actions. We use a variety of tools, including warning letters, civil fines, injunctions, and seals, to ensure that relevant parties in the supply chain comply with the law to prevent youth use of cigarette commodities. In addition, we are working with other federal agencies, such as through a newly formed interagency task force, to strengthen vape enforcement efforts.
Education plays a key role in preventing young people from using cigarette commodities. For example, our award-winning campaign, “The Real Cost,” is estimated to prevent hundreds of thousands of teens from starting to use cigarette products each year. These efforts are the “best investment” in public health – in this campaign, society could save $180 by avoiding health costs associated with cigarettes. The campaign continues to reach and positively influence young people. In addition, we also provide parents and teachers with free awareness resources such as the “Vape Prevention and Teaching Resource Center.”
All of these actions are part of the FDA’s ongoing efforts to make tobacco-related illnesses and deaths a part of our nation’s history and ensure a healthier future for youth. While the progress so far is encouraging, much remains to be done. We remain committed to protecting youth from the harmful effects of cigarette products.
