Teen vaping has reached its lowest level in a decade, according to new government data. Public health officials are calling it a monumental public health win, but caution there is still work to be done. "This progress is a testament to the relentless efforts by the FDA, CDC and others, particularly over the past half-decade," said Brian King, the director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products, in a statement. "But we can't rest on our laurels, as there's still more work to do to further reduce youth e-cigarette use." New data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey reveals that during a four-month period earlier this year, 1.6 million middle and high school students reported actively using e-cigarettes, representing just under 6% of the youth population. That's a decrease compared to last year and roughly one-third of the peak usage in 2019.Officials attribute the decline primarily to reduced use among high school students, while usage among middle school students remained unchanged year-to-year."We still know that nicotine is really unhealthy for your developing brains but, over your lifetime, in terms of cancer risk and others," said Mandy Cohen, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "So it's still an important issue."Other tobacco products, like nicotine pouches, have surged among adults. But health officials say that doesn't seem to be the case among teens. Survey data shows that only 1.8% of kids reported using pouches in 2024. "While it's encouraging to see these numbers currently remaining relatively low, the bottom line is that we are concerned about any youth-appealing tobacco product," King said. "Our guard is up. We are aware of the reported growing sales trends for nicotine pouches and are closely monitoring the evolving tobacco product landscape for threats to public health, particularly when it comes to kids." As students head back to school, health officials are urging parents to talk to teens about the dangers of using tobacco products. The FDA and CDC have resources available to assist in these conversations.