Mexico’s ENCODAT 2025 finds smoking rate falls as vaping rises

Key Points 

• Clear structural shift: Mexico’s tobacco and nicotine use is showing a pattern of declining combustible tobacco use and rising e-cigarette use.
• General population (ages 12–65): Past-month combustible tobacco use fell to 15.1% (from 17.6% in 2016), while past-month e-cigarette use rose to 2.6% (from 1.1% in 2016).
• Gender differences: The decline in combustible tobacco use was driven mainly by men (27.1% → 22.8%), while women remained broadly stable (8.7% → 8.0%). E-cigarette use was higher among men (3.4%) than women (1.9%).
• Adolescents (ages 12–17): Past-month combustible tobacco use dropped to 2.0% (from 4.9% in 2016), but past-month e-cigarette use increased to 3.1% (from 1.1% in 2016). The report notes no reported nicotine pouch use among this age group.
• Adults (ages 18–65), product breakdown: Past-month use rates were 0.4% for smokeless tobacco, 0.5% for heated tobacco products (PTC), 2.6% for e-cigarettes, and 0.1% for nicotine pouches.

2Firsts, Dec. 25, 2025 —ENCODAT 2025 (Mexico’s National Survey on Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption) indicates a structural shift in tobacco and nicotine use: combustible tobacco use declined while e-cigarette use increased. 

The report notes that ENCODAT 2025 added specific questions to measure other tobacco products (including smokeless tobacco such as chewing tobacco/rapé/snus and heated tobacco products, PTC), and also incorporated emerging nicotine products such as e-cigarettes (vapeadores) and nicotine pouches. 

For the total population aged 12–65, last-month combustible tobacco use was 15.1%, down from 17.6% in 2016; the report attributes the reduction mainly to men (27.1% to 22.8%), while women remained essentially unchanged (8.7% to 8.0%).  Last-month e-cigarette use in the same 12–65 population was 2.6% (3.4% men, 1.9% women), up from 1.1% in 2016. 

Among adolescents aged 12–17, last-month combustible tobacco use fell from 4.9% in 2016 to 2.0% in 2025, with declines observed in both males and females (6.7% to 3.2% for males; 3.0% to 0.7% for females).  In contrast, last-month e-cigarette use among 12–17-year-olds was 3.1% (3.5% males, 2.6% females), higher than the 1.1% observed in 2016.  The report also states that no nicotine pouch use was reported in this age group. 

For adults aged 18–65, ENCODAT 2025 reports last-month use rates of 0.4% for smokeless tobacco, 0.5% for heated tobacco products (PTC), 2.6% for e-cigarettes, and 0.1% for nicotine pouches. 

Among combustible tobacco users aged 12–65, 74.8% reported interest in quitting; 57% made at least one quit attempt in the past year; and 16% stopped using combustible tobacco in the past year.  

The report also notes: health warnings on cigarette packs led 39.1% of smokers to think about quitting; pictorial warnings prevented smoking a cigarette in 27.1% of cases; offline advertising/promotion/sponsorship decreased from 37.6% (2016) to 32.3% (2025), while internet advertising/promotion/sponsorship increased from 17.6% to 27.3%.

Cover Image source: ChatGPT