Youth Tobacco Use Hits Historic Low

The number of Indiana teens smoking and vaping is on the decline, with high school tobacco use at its lowest level in two decades. According to new data from the Indiana Department of Health, released Tuesday.

"Tobacco generally has over 1,000 ingredients in what you're smoking, inhaling. And will kill you in many ways. Cause different problems — emphysema, asthma, heart disease and cancer," Dr. Mitchell Pfeiffer, pulmonologist at Ascension St. Vincent, said.

Dr. Pfeiffer says nicotine use is especially dangerous for young people, noting that it can affect their brains and make it hard to quit.

"It also affects a teenage or early 20-year-old brain. There's sensors in the brain that nicotine goes to, so once those receptors are stimulated by the nicotine products, it makes it addicting. It's hard to quit," he said.

Jesse Reed, now 21, started vaping in middle school and found it difficult to stop. He estimates he buys a new vape every two weeks, which can add up to hundreds of dollars every year.

According to the 2024 Youth Tobacco Survey, e-cigarette use among high schoolers dropped to five percent, the lowest level since data collection began in 2012.

"Vaping is still something I struggle with because it's an addiction," Dakota Lumley said. He transitioned from cigarette use to vaping as a teenager and struggled with blood circulation and breathing issues.

Despite the progress shown in the survey, experts remain concerned about flavored tobacco products, frequent e-cigarette use, and the rising popularity of oral nicotine pouches.

"I would encourage the FDA to take a closer look at some of these products and the restrictions, and they can do this and ban stuff and get rid of it," Dr. Pfeiffer said.

Indiana offers free tobacco cessation resources for youth, including Live Vape Free's program and Quit Now Indiana, which is available by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW or texting READY to 34191.