The share of Vermont high school students reporting use of electronic vapor products fell to 14 percent in 2025, a sharp decrease from the 26 percent peak recorded in 2019, according to the Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey results released this month.
Survey scope and headline findings
The 2025 survey gathered responses from 15,606 high school students in grades 9 through 12. Among those who reported vaping in the past 30 days, 36 percent said they vaped every day.
Vermont’s Department of Health highlighted that the decline between 2023 and 2025 was statistically significant for current high school vaping. Middle school students moved in the same direction: just 5 percent of students in grades 6 through 8 reported past-30-day vaping. The middle school portion of the survey included 12,911 students.
Other substance use still present
The survey also reported that other substance use among high school students remains higher than vaping in 2025. The findings show:
- 22 percent of high school students reported drinking alcohol in the previous 30 days.
- 18 percent reported marijuana use in the previous 30 days.
- 6 percent reported cigarette smoking.
Those figures place cigarette smoking near historic lows in the state, while alcohol and marijuana continue to be more commonly reported than vaping.
New questions for 2025: nicotine pouches
For the 2025 survey, Vermont explicitly added questions on smokeless products and nicotine pouches such as ZYN, ON! and VELO. High school respondents were asked separately about past-30-day use of those products, rather than grouping them with vaping, allowing the state to track use patterns for non-combustible nicotine products more precisely.
Why the decline matters for policy
The downward trend in youth vaping — now nearly half the 2019 peak — alters the context for lawmakers and public health advocates as they consider regulation that would affect both minors and adults. With lower youth-use rates, policymakers face different trade-offs when evaluating restrictions that could limit adult access to e‑cigarettes that some adults use to quit combustible cigarettes.
Public-health officials say sustained monitoring is important. While the drop from the 2019 high is notable, the data still show daily vaping among a sizable share of current youth users, and other substance use remains more prevalent.
Quick reference: 2025 youth substance-use snapshot
| Measure | 2025 rate |
|---|---|
| High school past-30-day vaping | 14% |
| High school daily vaping (of current users) | 36% |
| Middle school past-30-day vaping | 5% |
| High school past-30-day alcohol use | 22% |
| High school past-30-day marijuana use | 18% |
| High school cigarette smoking | 6% |
What this means for families and schools
Although the overall prevalence of youth vaping has dropped, the survey shows that many of the students who do vape are frequent users. That pattern suggests school health programs and parents should continue prevention and cessation efforts, while tailoring strategies to reach daily users.
- Schools should maintain education about nicotine addiction and the risks of daily vaping.
- Parents should talk with teens about substance use and be attentive to changes in behavior that could indicate regular nicotine use.
- Clinicians and school nurses can help connect teens who want to quit with appropriate cessation resources.
State health officials said the 2025 results will inform their outreach and prevention work and that continued tracking will be important as product availability and youth behavior evolve.
The survey results will also figure into debates at the Vermont State House about potential regulation of flavored products, age restrictions, and other measures that affect both youth and adults. Lawmakers will begin a new session with evidence that youth vaping has declined substantially since its recent high point, a fact that advocates on both sides of the issue are likely to cite.
Reporting for this article included the Vermont Department of Health’s August 18 news release summarizing the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
