Rapid tobacco surveillance among young people in six states: Methods and findings from the Center for Rapid Surveillance of Tobacco Youth and Young Adult Cohort

The goal of this study is to describe the methods of the Rutgers Center for Rapid Surveillance of Tobacco Youth and Young Adult Cohort. Participants completed a multi-phase online screening process with 155 youth (ages 12–17) and 551 young adults (ages 18–25) in six U.S. states (CA, KY, NC, NJ, OH, VT) retained in the Cohort. Quarterly surveys conducted from Fall 2024-Summer 2025 assessed tobacco use behaviors and beliefs. Analyses describe retention and data quality, as well as descriptive findings on ever use, new use, susceptibility, access and sources of tobacco, and tobacco/nicotine brands used. Survey retention between waves ranged from 86 to 90 %. Over nine months, new use of a specific tobacco/nicotine product occurred in 5–11 % of youth and 10–23 % of young adults who had never used that product; trial was greatest for cigars. Susceptibility was lowest among never users for smokeless tobacco and highest for electronic nicotine products (ENP). Most participants under age 21 perceived tobacco or nicotine products to be easy to access (63 %), with few reporting perceived difficulty buying in a store (29 %) or online (10 %). Geek Bar, JUUL, and RAZ were the most popular ENP brands; two write-in brands were reported consistently in VT (Loon) and NJ (Lava), with other write-in brands suggesting regional variation in brand availability. The Cohort complements state and national surveys, with timely findings and assessment of longitudinal patterns of behavior. Flexibility in the survey instrument allows for triangulation of product and brand uptake across the Center's activities. • This cohort follows tobacco patterns over time in young people across six states. • New tobacco/nicotine use is generally higher in young adult than youth never users. • Most participants say it would be easy to get or buy tobacco/nicotine products. • There is regional variation in electronic nicotine product brands in young people.