The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has made significant strides in reducing youth tobacco use, according to the recently released 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey findings. The survey revealed that youth tobacco product use has dropped to its lowest level ever reported since the survey began 25 years ago, with cigarette smoking among youth reaching a historic low and e-cigarette use dropping to the lowest level in a decade.
CTP Director, who once answered calls for a tobacco quit line and spoke with people desiring to quit smoking for various heartfelt reasons, attributes this success to actions taken at national, state, local, territorial, and tribal levels. The FDA's robust, comprehensive approach to tobacco regulation has played a significant role in reducing youth tobacco product use in the U.S. from 4.67 million in 2009, when CTP was established, to 2.25 million in 2024.
FDA Continues to Prioritize Youth Protection Through Policy and Enforcement
The FDA remains committed to protecting youth from the harms of tobacco products. CTP's policy agenda guides and provides transparency on current and long-term priorities, such as the recently advanced final rule outlining increased age requirements for tobacco product sales. Enforcing the federal minimum age-of-sale of 21 for tobacco products is critical, as most adults who smoke daily smoked their first cigarette by young adulthood.
The agency also protects youth through its review of applications for new tobacco products, considering the potential for youth initiation. The FDA has taken action on more than 26 million applications, denying the marketing of e-cigarettes in youth-appealing designs and flavors, while authorizing thirty-four e-cigarette products for sale that have undergone rigorous scientific review and meet the public health standard required by law.
Enforcement actions, including warning letters, civil money penalties, injunctions, and seizures, ensure compliance with laws preventing youth tobacco product use. The FDA collaborates with other federal agencies on e-cigarette enforcement through a newly formed interagency task force.
Education Plays Crucial Role in Preventing Youth Tobacco Initiation
The FDA recognizes the importance of education in preventing youth tobacco initiation and use. The award-winning campaign "The Real Cost" has been estimated to prevent hundreds of thousands of youth from starting to use tobacco products each year, resulting in significant societal savings through averted tobacco-related health costs. The campaign continues to reach and positively impact teens, while the FDA also provides outreach to parents and teachers through free resources like the Vaping Prevention and Education Resource Center.
As the FDA continues its efforts to make tobacco-related disease and death part of the nation's past, ensuring a healthier future for youth remains a top priority. While the progress is promising, the agency acknowledges that more work needs to be done and remains committed to protecting the nation's youth from the harms of tobacco products.
