Public health data
Youth nicotine pouch use: reading the 2025 U.S. survey data
FDA reports that 1.7% of U.S. middle and high school students, an estimated 460,000 students, used nicotine pouches on at least one day in the previous 30 days in the 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey. The findings were published in 2026. This is a school-population estimate for a defined year, not a global rate or a count of daily users.
The denominator changes within the results
The table separates the population estimate from frequency figures reported among current users. All values are from FDA's 2025 NYTS summary. [1]
| Measure | Estimate | Population behind the percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Current pouch use | 1.7%; approximately 460,000 students | All students represented by the survey. |
| Daily pouch use | 17.6% | Students who currently used nicotine pouches. |
| Use on at least 20 of the last 30 days | 26.3% | Students who currently used nicotine pouches. |
The 17.6% figure therefore cannot be described as the percentage of all students using pouches daily. Daily users also fall within the group using on at least 20 days, so adding those two percentages would count some students twice.
Past-month use includes different patterns
A student who reports one day of use and a student who reports every day both meet the definition of current use. The category is useful for surveillance, but it does not describe an individual's nicotine exposure, dependence or clinical condition.
What NYTS is designed to measure
The National Youth Tobacco Survey is a school-based survey of U.S. middle and high school students. FDA makes the questionnaires, datasets and methodology materials available so that researchers can examine how the estimates were produced. [2] A published national estimate should be read with its sampling design, weighting and response information.
Four details belong beside a number when it is reused in an article, presentation or school resource:
- The survey year, which may differ from the publication year.
- The population and location, here U.S. middle and high school students.
- The behaviour being measured and its recall period.
- The denominator: all surveyed students, current users or another subgroup.
Without those details, "nicotine pouch use is 17.6%" could sound plausible while describing the wrong population. Quoting the correct number is only part of quoting a result correctly.
Self-report and sampling still matter
A survey response is a report of behaviour. It is not a nicotine blood test or a dental examination. Sampling uncertainty also means that small differences between estimates need statistical assessment. Analysts working with the public data should use the survey documentation rather than treat every questionnaire response as equally representative of the population.
How to compare 2024 and 2025
The 2024 CDC report estimated current nicotine pouch use at 1.8%, or 480,000 middle and high school students. FDA describes current use as stable from 2024 to 2025. [3] [1]
The displayed values differ by 0.1 percentage point. That arithmetic difference alone does not establish a statistically significant decline. The rounded counts are estimates, so subtracting them does not identify 20,000 particular students who stopped using pouches.
It also matters which years a headline compares. A result about one interval cannot automatically be applied to a longer interval. The 2024 CDC report, for example, distinguished its 2023-to-2024 comparison from a separate 2022-to-2024 comparison. [3] State the start and end years whenever describing a trend.
What these findings mean for prevention
CDC advises young people not to use nicotine pouches. Nicotine is addictive, and adolescent exposure can harm brain functions involved in attention, learning, mood and impulse control. [4]
Population data help frame a prevention conversation; they should not become a way to diagnose or label a particular student. A useful discussion begins with what the young person reports and what help they need. A healthcare professional can assess dependence and discuss appropriate support.
For school communication, use the exact behaviour and year in the headline: "Past-month nicotine pouch use among U.S. students, 2025." Keep commercial sales figures in a separate analysis. A sales record counts purchases and units; it does not, by itself, identify the purchasers' ages or measure the proportion of students using a product.
Frequently asked questions
Does current use mean daily use?
No. In the 2025 NYTS summary, current use means use on at least one of the previous 30 days. Daily use is a separate frequency measure.
Can the U.S. estimate be applied to students in other countries?
No. The estimate describes the U.S. school population covered by NYTS. Other countries need their own appropriately designed surveys.
Do lower rounded numbers prove that a prevention programme worked?
No. Establishing a programme effect needs an evaluation that addresses alternative explanations. A national survey comparison alone cannot attribute a change to one intervention.
References
Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Data years and study populations are stated in the text. This is a focused educational summary, not an exhaustive systematic review.
- FDA. Results from the Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey: 2025 findings, published in 2026.
- FDA. National Youth Tobacco Survey: survey scope, methods and public datasets.
- Park-Lee et al. E-Cigarette and Nicotine Pouch Use Among Middle and High School Students, United States, 2024. CDC MMWR, 5 September 2024.
- CDC. Nicotine Pouches. 31 January 2025.