Youth tobacco use falls in Louisiana and Oregon as regions tighten vaping rules

Tobacco-control efforts are advancing in several regions, with a focus on reducing youth use and strengthening prevention. In Louisiana, a survey found youth tobacco use declined from 2024 to 2025, though nicotine pouches were more popular than cigarettes among young users; prevention advocates emphasized peer education, retailer safeguards and parental involvement. Oregon’s health authority reported that youth and adult cigarette smoking and per-capita cigarette sales fell enough to meet or exceed the state’s reduction goals, while youth vaping also declined; adult e-cigarette use rose through 2023 before falling in 2024, and officials said progress has not benefited all communities equally. In the Cayman Islands, lawmakers passed a bill banning vape sales to minors and, after a six-month phase-in, disposable e-cigarettes, while preserving an exemption for medical products and flagging enforcement challenges. In Vietnam’s Ca Mau province, health officials monitored local tobacco-control work and supported training for health workers in cessation counseling and communications, including education about e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.