The Connecticut State Department of Health has released the results of the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), also known as the Connecticut School Health Survey. This biennial survey captures a broad spectrum of behaviors among high school students, ranging from dietary habits and physical activity to mental health and substance use.
In 2023, 3% of Connecticut high school students reported currently smoking combustible cigarettes, defined as having used the product on at least one occasion in the 30 days prior. While this is a seemingly alarming 130% increase from 2021, when 1.3% of students were smoking, this represents an 18.9% decrease from 2019. Further, despite the recent uptick, smoking rates among Connecticut teens remain at historic lows, especially compared to 1997—the YRBS’s inaugural year—when 35.2% of students smoked. Since then, smoking rates have plummeted by 91.5%.
Other traditional tobacco products exhibit similar trends. In 2023, 4.1% of Connecticut high school students reported currently using cigars, while 2.3% were using smokeless tobacco products, which include chewing tobacco, dip, dissolvable tobacco products, and snus. The year 2019 marked the first recording of either cigar or smokeless tobacco use. Cigar use surged by more than 485% between 2021 and 2023, but it had only increased by 5.1% between 2019 and 2021. Smokeless tobacco use among Connecticut high school students saw a 76.9% increase between 2021 and 2023, yet there has been an 11.5% reduction in use since 2019.
As the overall use of traditional tobacco continues to decline, policymakers have shifted their focus toward the increasing use of vapor products. Mirroring national trends, youth vaping reached its peak in Connecticut in 2019. Similar to tobacco use, there have been increases in youth vapor product use from 2021 to 2023, although it remains significantly lower than in 2019.
In 2023, 28% of Connecticut high school students reported ever using an e-cigarette, while 11.5% reported current use. From 2021 to 2023, ever-use of vapor products increased by 12.4%, and current use rose by 8.5%. However, from 2019 to 2023, the percentage of students who had ever used an e-cigarette fell by 37.4%, and current use declined by 57.4%. Additionally, daily use of e-cigarettes has decreased by 40.9% since 2019, dropping from 6.1% to 3.6% of students.
Although the recent increases in traditional tobacco use warrant attention, they do not yet signify a reversing trend. Policymakers should carefully monitor these developments while continuing successful measures against youth vaping. Moreover, legislative actions aimed at restricting flavored tobacco and vapor products should balance the needs of adults who have successfully used e-cigarettes to quit smoking. More than 162,000 adults in Connecticut were currently using e-cigarettes in 2022, a 12% increase from 2021, and have benefitted from their availability as smoking cessation tools.
In conclusion, while the rise in traditional tobacco use among Connecticut’s youth is concerning, the significant reductions in vaping and the effective use of e-cigarettes by adults to cease smoking highlight the nuanced approach needed in public health policies. Connecticut lawmakers must continue to adapt their strategies to effectively address these evolving challenges, ensuring that measures are rooted in thorough research and a comprehensive understanding of health impacts across all age groups.
Lindsey Stroud is a Visiting Fellow at Independent Women’s Forum, a Senior Fellow at the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, and a board member with the American Vapor Manufacturers Association.