Youth Smoking in New York Hits Record Lows—While Old Myths Refuse to Die

New York State has just released new data showing youth smoking is at its lowest level in recorded history. 
According to the NY Department of Health’s 2025 StatShot report, only 2.4% of high school students in the state smoked cigarettes in 2024 — the lowest rate ever measured since youth smoking surveys began. 

Cigarettes Down, Vaping Down Too 

The numbers tell a clear story: 

• Cigarette smoking: Dropped to 2.4% in 2024 (from 27% two decades ago). 
• E-cigarette use: Fell from 27.4% in 2018 to 18.7% in 2022, and now just 13.1% in 2024. 
• Overall “tobacco” use: (which includes non-tobacco vapes) fell from 30.6% in 2018 to 17% in 2024. 

This is a remarkable public-health victory — especially considering how often vaping is still blamed for supposedly causing youth smoking. 

The “Gateway” Claim Doesn’t Fit the Facts 

Despite the data, some organizations continue to insist vaping leads teens into cigarette addiction. Johns Hopkins Medicine, for example, still frames vaping as a “gateway” to smoking. 

But if vaping truly caused more youth smoking, we’d expect cigarette rates to rise alongside vaping. Instead, the opposite has happened: as vaping has gone up and down, cigarette smoking has plummeted — faster than ever before. 

There’s no evidence of a new smoking epidemic. In fact, the evidence shows the opposite: vaping has likely displaced smoking among young people, not promoted it. 

Correlation Isn’t Causation 

When millions of adults worldwide use vaping to quit cigarettes successfully, it’s hard to argue that the same technology automatically turns teens into smokers. What’s really happening is a shift — one that public-health messaging still struggles to acknowledge. 

Educating youth about nicotine, enforcing age limits, and ensuring products stay regulated are all important. But claiming vaping will “reignite” a smoking crisis ignores what New York’s data clearly shows: teen smoking is nearly extinct. 

The Real Story 

New York’s record-low smoking rates should be celebrated, not overshadowed by outdated fears. Science-based policies must recognize the difference between combustible cigarettes — which kill half their users — and smoke-free nicotine alternatives that don’t burn tobacco. 

The bottom line: vaping isn’t fueling a youth-smoking epidemic; it’s helping end one.