Rhode Island Youth Vaping Tumbles Nearly 60 Percent as Adult Smoking Hits Historic Low

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Key Points:

• Survey Overview: Newly released 2025 Rhode Island Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) results show youth cigarette smoking remains near historic lows, while e-cigarette use has declined dramatically since peaking in 2019.

• Youth Smoking Near Historic Lows: In 2025, only 3.8 percent of Rhode Island high school students currently smoked combustible cigarettes, while 12.7 percent reported ever trying a cigarette.

• Frequent and Daily Smoking Remain Rare: Only 1 percent of Rhode Island high school students reported frequent cigarette smoking, defined as smoking on 20 or more days in the preceding month, while just 0.8 percent reported smoking daily.

• Recent Youth Smoking Increases: Between 2023 and 2025, current cigarette smoking increased by 22.6 percent, frequent smoking rose by 66.7 percent, and daily smoking increased by 33.3 percent. However, these increases reflect changes from historically low baseline rates.

• Two Decades of Smoking Declines: Between 2005 and 2025, cigarette experimentation among Rhode Island high school students declined by 71.6 percent, from 44.7 percent to 12.7 percent, while current smoking fell 76.1 percent, from 15.9 percent to 3.8 percent.

• Youth Vaping Plummets: Current e-cigarette use among Rhode Island high school students declined 59.1 percent between 2019 and 2025, falling from 30.1 percent to 12.3 percent.

• Vaping Experimentation Declines: In 2025, 30.8 percent of Rhode Island high school students reported ever trying an e-cigarette, a 37 percent decline from 48.9 percent in 2019.

• Frequent Vaping Falls Sharply: Frequent e-cigarette use among Rhode Island high school students declined 48 percent between 2019 and 2025, with only 5.3 percent reporting frequent use in 2025.

• Daily Vaping Also Declines: Daily e-cigarette use fell 40 percent between 2019 and 2025, with only 4.6 percent of Rhode Island high school students reporting daily vaping.

• National Trends Mirror Rhode Island: According to the 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey, current e-cigarette use among U.S. high school students declined 74.2 percent between 2019 and 2025, demonstrating that Rhode Island's reductions reflect broader national trends.

• Flavored E-Cigarette Ban: Rhode Island prohibited the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in 2020. Although youth vaping has declined substantially since implementation, similar reductions have occurred nationwide, making it difficult to attribute the state's progress specifically to its flavor prohibition.

• Adult Smoking Reaches Historic Low: According to the 2025 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) figures presented in the analysis, only 8.9 percent of Rhode Island adults currently smoked combustible cigarettes, the lowest rate recorded by the survey.

• Young Adult Smoking Below 5 Percent: In 2025, only 4.4 percent of Rhode Island adults aged 18 to 24 currently smoked cigarettes, falling below the 5 percent prevalence threshold sometimes used to describe a smoke-free population.

• Adult Vaping Remains Widespread: In 2025, 6 percent of Rhode Island adults currently used e-cigarettes, including 13.1 percent of young adults aged 18 to 24.

• Long-Term Adult Smoking Declines: Between 2016 and 2025, adult cigarette smoking prevalence declined 38.2 percent, from 14.4 percent to 8.9 percent.

• Adult Vaping Increases: Between 2016 and 2025, adult e-cigarette use increased 33.3 percent, from 4.5 percent to 6 percent, while adult smoking declined substantially during the same period.

• Fewer Adult Smokers: Between 2024 and 2025, adult smoking prevalence declined 19.4 percent, representing approximately 22,934 fewer Rhode Island adults smoking combustible cigarettes.

• Economic Burden of Smoking: WalletHub estimated that combustible cigarette smoking carried an annual economic cost of $106,081 per Rhode Island smoker in 2025, including approximately $6,071 in health care costs.

• Potential Economic Benefits: Applying WalletHub's estimates to Rhode Island's approximately 22,934 fewer adult smokers suggests $2.4 billion in associated annual smoking-related economic costs, including more than $139 million in health care costs. These figures are illustrative and should not be interpreted as documented or immediately realized savings.

• Smoking and Vaping Trends: Rhode Island's declining adult smoking rates alongside increasing e-cigarette use are consistent with the potential role of smoke-free nicotine alternatives in tobacco harm reduction, although population-level trends alone cannot establish causation.

• Policy Implications: Rhode Island's latest youth and adult tobacco-use data provide important context for evaluating the state's flavored e-cigarette prohibition, youth prevention measures, and adult access to potentially lower-risk alternatives.

• Bottom Line: Rhode Island youth vaping has declined nearly 60 percent since 2019, while youth cigarette smoking remains near historic lows and adult smoking has reached its lowest recorded level. These findings provide an opportunity to examine the public health effects of existing flavor restrictions, including their potential benefits for youth prevention and consequences for adults who smoke and may benefit from lower-risk alternatives.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released the 2025 results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The biennial survey, conducted in coordination with the Rhode Island Department of Health, assesses various student behaviors, ranging from physical activity and dietary habits to mental health and substance use.

There is encouraging news for policymakers: youth use of traditional tobacco products remains near historic lows, while youth vaping has declined significantly in recent years. Further, other CDC survey data indicate that adult smoking has reached its lowest level recorded, while adult vaping has increased as cigarette use has declined.

Rhode Island is among the states that have prohibited the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, citing concerns over youth use. With the latest survey findings, policymakers should reexamine whether maintaining this prohibition is warranted.

According to the YRBS, in 2025, 12.7 percent of Rhode Island high school students reported having ever tried a combustible cigarette, while 3.8 percent were currently smoking. Current use is defined as having used the product on at least one occasion in the 30 days preceding the survey. Further, only 1 percent of high schoolers reported frequent cigarette use (20 or more days in the past month), while 0.8 percent reported smoking daily.

It should be noted that the 2025 figures represent an increase in cigarette use among Rhode Island high school students compared to 2023. However, long-term trends indicate that youth smoking has declined substantially, even as alternative nicotine products have entered the marketplace.

Between 2023 and 2025, ever-use of cigarettes increased by 6.7 percent, current use by 22.6 percent, frequent use by 66.7 percent, and daily use by 33.3 percent. Yet, between 2019 and 2025, ever-use declined by 27.4 percent, current use by 9.5 percent, frequent use by 37.5 percent, and daily use by 50 percent.

Moreover, over the past two decades, cigarette smoking among Rhode Island high school students has fallen dramatically. In 2005, nearly half (44.7 percent) had tried a combustible cigarette, while 15.9 percent were currently smoking. Between 2005 and 2025, ever-use of cigarettes decreased by 71.6 percent, while current use declined by 76.1 percent.

E-cigarettes first entered the U.S. marketplace in 2007, and their growing popularity among youth in subsequent years prompted policymakers to enact restrictions intended to limit youth access. In 2020, Rhode Island prohibited the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, citing concerns about youth vaping. The latest survey findings offer encouraging news: consistent with national trends and data from other states, youth vaping in the Ocean State appears to have peaked in 2019 and has declined considerably since.

According to the YRBS, in 2025, 30.8 percent of Rhode Island high school students had ever tried an e-cigarette, 12.3 percent were currently vaping, 5.3 percent were frequent users, and 4.6 percent reported daily use.

These figures represent substantial declines from 2019, when nearly half (48.9 percent) of Rhode Island high school students had tried an e-cigarette and nearly one-third (30.1 percent) were currently vaping. Between 2019 and 2025, ever-use of e-cigarettes declined by 37 percent, current use fell by 59.1 percent, frequent use decreased by 48 percent, and daily use dropped by 40 percent.

Importantly, these declines mirror broader national trends. According to the 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey, current e-cigarette use among U.S. high school students declined by 74.2 percent between 2019 and 2025.

In recent years, policymakers have devoted significant attention to youth nicotine use, often with less consideration of trends in adult cigarette smoking and alternative nicotine product use. In the Ocean State, survey data indicate that the introduction and growing availability of e-cigarettes did not coincide with an increase in adult smoking. Rather, the expansion of alternative nicotine products has occurred alongside substantial declines in combustible cigarette use.

The CDC annually tracks adult health behaviors through its Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), including cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use.

According to the BRFSS, in 2025, only 8.9 percent of Rhode Island adults aged 18 years or older were currently smoking – the lowest rate recorded by the survey. Among young adults aged 18 to 24 years, only 4.4 percent were currently smoking, below the 5 percent benchmark sometimes used to describe a smoke-free society. Conversely, 6 percent of Rhode Island adults were currently vaping in 2025, including 13.1 percent of young adults.

Long-term data reveal that increased e-cigarette use has coincided with declining combustible cigarette smoking. In 2016, 14.4 percent of Rhode Island adults were currently smoking, compared to 4.5 percent who were vaping. Between 2016 and 2025, the adult smoking rate declined by 38.2 percent, while the vaping rate increased by 33.3 percent.

Moreover, reductions in cigarette smoking have the potential to generate significant economic benefits. WalletHub estimates that the total annual economic impact of smoking per smoker in Rhode Island reached $106,081 in 2025, including $6,071 in health care costs.

Between 2024 and 2025, the percentage of Rhode Island adults who were smoking decreased by 19.4 percent, representing an estimated 22,934 fewer adult smokers. Applying WalletHub's per-smoker estimates to this reduction suggests approximately $2.4 billion in annual smoking-related economic costs associated with that number of smokers, including more than $139 million in health care costs. These figures are illustrative estimates of the economic burden associated with smoking, rather than documented savings realized by the state.

As policymakers examine the effects of Rhode Island's 2020 flavored e-cigarette ban, they should consider the most recent youth and adult tobacco use data. While preventing youth nicotine use remains an important public health priority, national survey findings demonstrate that youth vaping has declined substantially across the country, including in states without comprehensive flavor prohibitions.

Ultimately, Rhode Island's latest data underscore the need for evidence-based policies that protect youth without unnecessarily restricting access to potentially less harmful alternatives for adults who smoke. As lawmakers reconsider existing restrictions, both declining youth vaping rates and historically low adult smoking rates deserve consideration.

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.