By Brian Erkkila

Colorado families, educators and public-health leaders have spent years working to prevent underage tobacco use — and the newest national data suggest those efforts are paying off. The FDA’s 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) is a timely reminder to keep the conversation grounded in scientific evidence, not fear or anecdote.

NYTS is nationally representative and built to track youth tobacco and nicotine behaviors over time. If the goal is to understand whether a product category is truly “taking off” with kids, this is one of the best datasets we have.

And the data shows real progress: youth cigarette smoking is at the lowest level on record; youth vaping is down sharply from its 2019 peak; and youth nicotine pouch use remains in low single digits. In clearer terms, from 2019-2025, there was a 68% decrease in any tobacco use and a 74% decrease in ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery systems) use (aka “vaping”) among youth.

These figures are moving in the right direction — let’s keep it that way.

Even with that progress, we know some teenagers will engage in risky behaviors, including seeking out products intended for adults. For this reason, underage use of any nicotine product always deserves attention and action. The response should be proportionate and focused on what works: strong age-21 enforcement, accountability for retailers and online sellers who break the law, and targeted interventions focused on real sources of youth access.

PMI U.S. markets nicotine products to adults 21-plus only — period. We support strong, targeted enforcement against retailers or online sellers who break the law, and we support commonsense guardrails that keep products out of the hands of kids. Everyone — public-health agencies, schools, parents, retailers and manufacturers — has a role in preventing youth use.

Doing more to reduce youth use of tobacco and nicotine products is only part of the public health equation. We also need to do more to help adult smokers transition away from cigarettes.

Colorado is home to more than 450,000 adults who still smoke cigarettes — the most harmful way to consume nicotine. Public-health authorities have long recognized noncombustible, smoke-free alternatives expose users to far fewer toxic chemicals because they eliminate burning tobacco. Helping adults who smoke fully switch away from cigarettes to these lower-risk products can significantly reduce smoking-related disease and health care costs in Colorado.

The national data tell a hopeful story: youth tobacco use has been falling, not rising. Colorado can build on that momentum by doubling down on proven youth prevention strategies — while making sure adult smokers have accurate information and access to better alternatives than continued smoking.

Let’s keep the focus clear: protect kids, enforce the law and accelerate the decline of cigarette smoking among adults.

Brian Erkkila, M.D., is head of U.S. scientific engagement at PMI U.S. He previously served as a lead toxicologist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products.