U.S. FDA Releases Latest PATH Study Data: Focus on Youth Tobacco Trends and Urban-Rural Disparities in Tobacco Use

Jul.02.2025
U.S. FDA Releases Latest PATH Study Data: Focus on Youth Tobacco Trends and Urban-Rural Disparities in Tobacco Use
On July 1, the FDA released 2023 PATH data on youth tobacco use, highlighting trends and differences across urban, suburban, town, and rural areas to support targeted policymaking.

【2Firsts news flash】On July 1st, the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study project by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released two new datasets, including a novel data type targeted towards researchers conducting studies in specific regions, providing new resources for research inquiries.

 

The public use files specially collected in Wave 7.5 are now available through the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products and the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health. These data cover questionnaire responses from adolescents aged 12-17 and young adults aged 18-22, from April 2023 to December 2023.

 

Furthermore, the adult and adolescent/parent residential characteristics for Wave 6 (2021) and Wave 7 (2022-2023) restricted-use data files have been released. These variables categorize respondents' residential communities into four basic types: City, Suburban, Town, and Rural. Providing enhanced measurement indicators of respondents' locations will assist researchers in better understanding the relationship between tobacco use behaviors and community characteristics. Researchers can apply for data access permission.

 

In addition to the newly released data files mentioned above, the restricted use files collected in the 7.5th wave will also be made available for access in April 2025. Researchers can continue to apply for access to the restricted use files from waves one through seven, as well as the restricted use files containing biological markers. Data and documents from the public use files can also be downloaded, along with updated main link files.

 

The FDA has disclosed that the PATH study is a nationally representative longitudinal study based on families, targeting American adolescents aged 12 to 17 and adults. The study was initiated in 2011 with the aim of providing evidence for the FDA's regulatory activities under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

 

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