Percentage of U.S. college students reporting tobacco use as of fall 2023, by product

A survey from the fall of 2023, found that the most used tobacco products among college students in the United States were e-cigarettes or other vape products. At that time, around 75 percent of college students who used tobacco products in the past three months reported they used e-cigarettes or other vape products. The same survey found that among college students who reported ever using a tobacco product, around 24 percent stated they used tobacco daily or almost daily in the past three months, while 26 percent had used just once or twice.

What is the most popular kind of tobacco product in the United States?

Although e-cigarettes are the most used tobacco product among college students, the most commonly used form of tobacco among U.S. adults is still regular combustible cigarettes. In 2021, around 10 percent of women and 13 percent of men were current cigarette smokers, compared to four percent of women and five percent of men who smoked e-cigarettes. However, e-cigarette use is much more common among younger adults, not just college students. In 2021, around 11 percent of those aged 18 to 24 years used e-cigarettes, while five percent smoked combustible cigarettes. 

Smoking trends in the United States

Smoking in the United States has dramatically decreased over the past few decades. In 1965, it was estimated that around 42 percent of adults in the U.S. smoked, but this number was only about 14 percent in 2019. Nevertheless, that is still almost 31 million people who smoke and are at risk of premature death due to cancer, cardiovascular disease, or stroke, just a few of the risk factors of smoking. The state with the highest percentage of adults who smoke is West Virginia, while Utah has the lowest prevalence of smoking. In 2022, around 20 percent of adults in West Virginia smoked, compared to six percent in Utah.