New Vermont Data Show Major Declines in Youth Smoking and Vaping

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Key Points:

• Youth Tobacco Use Declines: Newly released 2025 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) results show continued declines in cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use among high school and middle school students.

• High School Smoking Near Historic Lows: In 2025, 6 percent of Vermont high school students currently smoked cigarettes, down from 10.8 percent in 2015 and 17.9 percent in 2005. Only 17 percent reported ever trying a cigarette.

• Youth Vaping Down Sharply: Current e-cigarette use among Vermont high school students declined 47 percent between 2019 and 2025, falling from 26.4 percent to 14 percent. Ever-use declined 47.8 percent, from 49.8 percent to 26 percent.

• Nicotine Pouch Use Remains Limited: The 2025 YRBS incorporated oral nicotine pouches into its smokeless tobacco category, with 6 percent of high school students reporting current use of smokeless tobacco and/or oral nicotine products.

• Middle School Smoking Remains Rare: Only 1 percent of Vermont middle school students reported current cigarette smoking in 2025, while 6 percent had ever tried a cigarette.

• Middle School Vaping Also Declines: Current vaping among Vermont middle school students fell 35.9 percent between 2019 and 2025, from 7.8 percent to 5 percent, while ever-use declined from 15.5 percent to 10 percent.

• Flavors Not the Primary Reason for High School Vaping: Among Vermont high school students who currently vaped, 30 percent cited getting a nicotine “high or buzz” as their most common reason, followed by anxiety or stress at 23 percent. Only 5 percent cited flavors.

• Stress Leads Among Middle School Users: Among middle school students who currently vaped, 36 percent cited anxiety or stress, compared with 16 percent citing curiosity, 15 percent seeking a high or buzz, and only 4 percent citing flavors.

• Other Youth Substance Use Remains Higher: In 2025, 14 percent of Vermont high school students currently vaped, compared with 22 percent who currently consumed alcohol and 18 percent who currently used marijuana products.

• Evidence Supports Smoking Cessation: An updated August 2026 Cochrane Review found “high-certainty evidence” that nicotine e-cigarettes increase smoking cessation rates compared with traditional nicotine replacement therapies such as patches and gum.

• FDA Has Authorized Vaping Products: The FDA has authorized dozens of e-cigarette products after determining that their marketing is “appropriate for the protection of the public health,” including some products available in non-tobacco flavors.

• Adult Smoking Continues to Fall: In 2024, only 10.5 percent of Vermont adults smoked cigarettes, among the lowest rates on record, while 5.9 percent currently used e-cigarettes.

• Smoking Down as Vaping Increased: Between 2023 and 2024, Vermont adult smoking declined by 7.1 percent, while adult e-cigarette use increased by 20.4 percent.

• Policy Implications: Vermont’s latest data show that youth smoking is at historic lows and youth vaping has fallen substantially from its 2019 peak, even as some adults increasingly use smoke-free nicotine alternatives.

• Bottom Line: Policymakers should focus on targeted youth-access protections while preserving lower-risk alternatives for adults who smoke, ensuring future tobacco policies do not undermine Vermont’s continued progress in reducing combustible cigarette use.

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Tobacco and nicotine use continues to decline among youth in the Green Mountain State. The Vermont Department of Health recently published results from the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), showing cigarette smoking among youth at historic lows and e-cigarette use declining substantially since peaking in 2019.

According to the YRBS, in 2025, 17 percent of Vermont high school students had ever tried a combustible cigarette, while 6 percent were current smokers, defined as having used the product on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. These figures represent significant long-term declines. In 2015, 10.8 percent of students were current smokers, compared with 17.9 percent in 2005.

In recent years, less harmful nicotine alternatives, including e-cigarettes and oral nicotine pouches, have come under increasing scrutiny from policymakers. Similar to national trends, youth vaping among Vermont high school students peaked in 2019, when nearly half (49.8 percent) had ever tried an e-cigarette and more than one-fourth (26.4 percent) were currently vaping. Between 2019 and 2025, ever-use declined by 47.8 percent to 26 percent, while current use fell by 47 percent to 14 percent.

The 2025 YRBS was also updated to include oral nicotine pouches in the smokeless tobacco category. Only 6 percent of Vermont high school students reported current use of smokeless tobacco and/or oral nicotine products.

The 2025 results are promising among Vermont middle school students as well. Only 6 percent had ever tried a combustible cigarette, while 1 percent were current smokers. As with high school students, e-cigarette use among Vermont middle schoolers peaked in 2019, when 15.5 percent had ever used an e-cigarette and 7.8 percent were currently vaping. Between 2019 and 2025, ever-use declined by 35.5 percent to 10 percent, while current use decreased by 35.9 percent to 5 percent.

Vermont is also one of the few states that asks youth why they use e-cigarettes. The latest results provide important context for policymakers, particularly as flavors continue to receive significant attention in debates over youth vaping.

In 2025, among Vermont high school students who currently vaped, the most commonly cited reason for use was to “get a high or buzz” from nicotine, reported by 30 percent of current users. Comparatively, only 5 percent cited flavors as a reason for vaping. Other commonly reported reasons included feeling anxious or stressed (23 percent) and curiosity (13 percent).

A similar pattern was evident among middle school students. Among Vermont middle schoolers who reported current e-cigarette use in 2025, the most commonly cited reason was feeling anxious or stressed, reported by 36 percent. Only 4 percent cited flavors. Meanwhile, 16 percent reported curiosity as a reason for vaping and 15 percent reported using e-cigarettes to get a high or buzz.

Protecting youth from age-restricted products remains an important public health goal, but the data also raise questions about whether broad prohibitions affecting adult consumers are proportionate to current patterns of youth use. Other age-restricted products continue to be used by Vermont high school students at comparable or higher rates. In 2025, 14 percent reported current e-cigarette use, compared with 22 percent who currently consumed alcohol and 18 percent who currently used marijuana products.

The latest data underscore the need for regulations that effectively discourage youth use while preserving adult access to tobacco harm reduction products. Evidence increasingly indicates that e-cigarettes are substantially less harmful than combustible cigarettes and can help adults quit smoking.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the marketing of dozens of e-cigarette products, including some products in non-tobacco flavors, after determining that their marketing is “appropriate for the protection of the public health.”

Further, an updated Cochrane Review, published in August 2026, found “high-certainty evidence” that nicotine e-cigarettes increase smoking cessation rates compared with traditional nicotine replacement therapies, such as gum and patches.

Adult tobacco-use trends in Vermont also warrant consideration.

According to the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, in 2024, just 10.5 percent of Vermont adults smoked cigarettes – among the lowest rates on record – while 5.9 percent reported current e-cigarette use. From 2023 to 2024, adult smoking declined by 7.1 percent while adult vaping increased by 20.4 percent.

As policymakers prepare for next year’s legislative session, the latest data should help inform debates over tobacco and nicotine policy. Cigarette smoking among Vermont youth is at historic lows, while youth vaping has fallen substantially from its 2019 peak. At the same time, adult smoking continues to decline as some adults use smoke-free nicotine alternatives.

Rather than relying on broad restrictions, policymakers should pursue targeted approaches that continue reducing youth access while preserving less harmful alternatives for adults who smoke. Policies that fail to balance these objectives risk undermining Vermont’s continued progress in reducing combustible cigarette use.

Nothing in this analysis is intended to influence the passage of legislation, and it does not necessarily represent the views of Tobacco Harm Reduction 101.