Smoking and Vaping Soars Among German Teenagers, New Study Finds

The health risks extend to nicotine itself. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment notes that just one puff from a nicotine-containing vape can raise the concentration in the brain to 50 percent of maximum within around 27 seconds – a rate similar to that of traditional cigarettes.

Streeck therefore called for stricter regulation. He demanded “klare Regeln für Inhaltsstoffe, Aromen, Werbung und Verpackung” to better protect young people.

Calls for Tighter Rules

The study also highlights a gender shift. Among male adolescents, vaping rose from 2.9 percent to 6.7 percent, but among females the jump was even more pronounced: from 1.8 percent to 7.8 percent. This now puts teenage girls slightly ahead of boys in regular e-cigarette use.

In the older cohort of 18- to 25-year-olds, cigarette smoking actually declined from 29.8 percent in 2021 to 26.3 percent in 2025. However, vaping in this group surged. Male young adults’ vaping rate more than doubled from 6.9 percent to 13.3 percent, while the rate among young women rose from 4.7 percent to 11.9 percent.

Shifting Trends by Age and Gender

Beyond vaping, the study tracked the use of nicotine pouches. In 2025, 5.5 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds and 18.9 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds said they had tried such products, up from 4.1 percent and 14.8 percent in 2023 respectively.

Johannes Nießen, the director of the BIÖG, noted that while long-term health effects of vaping remain largely unknown because the products only became widespread after 2010, the swift rise in youth consumption is concerning.

For those looking to quit, support is available. Health insurance providers, in-person courses, telephone counselling, and online platforms like the service “Rauchfrei” offer guidance. “Tipps zum Rauchfrei werden Hilfe gibt es bei Krankenkassen, in Kursen, Telefonberatungen und online wie auf Seiten wie ‘Rauchfrei’,” the institute advised.