Youth Traditional Tobacco Use at Record Lows in Nebraska, Vaping Significantly Down

The 2023 Nebraska Youth Risk Behavior Survey results show record low traditional tobacco use among high school students, with a significant decrease in youth vaping since 2019. Combustible cigarettes use among high schoolers decreased by 66.1% for ever-use and 82.6% for current use from 2019 to 2023. Smokeless tobacco use also declined by 47.2%. Youth vaping decreased by 54.1% for ever-use and 59.6% for current use. While youth vaping has decreased, adult e-cigarette use rose by 26.9% in 2022. These trends highlight successful public health efforts in reducing youth tobacco use and support for harm reduction tools like e-cigarettes for adult smokers in Nebraska.