This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Cigarette use among youth declined in the past decade
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Cigarette use among middle school and high school students declined significantly from 2000 to 2011, according to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The report, which included data from the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey, showed declines among middle school students in current tobacco use (7.1% in 2011 vs. 14.9% in 2000), current combustible tobacco use (6.3% vs. 14.0%) and current cigarette use (4.3% vs. 10.7%).
Among high school students, current use of tobacco (23.2% vs. 34.4%), combustible tobacco (21% vs. 33.1%) and cigarettes (15.8% vs. 27.9%) also declined during the study period.
The 2011 data showed that, after cigarettes, the most commonly used forms of tobacco among middle school students were cigars (3.5%), smokeless tobacco (2.2%), pipes (2.2%), bidis (1.7%) and kreteks (1.1%). Among high school students, the most common forms of tobacco after cigarettes were cigars (11.6%), smokeless tobacco (7.3%), pipes (4%), bidis (2%) and kreteks (1.7%).
The CDC attributes the overall reduction in tobacco use among youths to effective interventions, such as media campaigns, limiting tobacco advertisements and increasing the price of tobacco products. However, the rate of decline in cigarette smoking among adolescents was slower during the 2000-2011 study period than the 1997-2003 period.
The periods of decline began after increases in cigarette use among youth during the 1990s.
“These interventions should continue to be implemented as part of national comprehensive tobacco control programs and should be coordinated with Food and Drug Administration regulations restricting the sale, distribution and marketing of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to youth,” the researchers wrote.
Reference:
Arrazola RA. MMWR. 2012;61:565-569.
Perspective
Back to Top
Michael Steinberg, MD, MPH, FACP
The decline in youth tobacco use is, at first glance, good news for tobacco control. However, despite the trend, there is a concerning flattening of the downward curve from 2009 to 2011. Increased cigarette prices helped reduce youth tobacco use but also made less expensive tobacco products more appealing. Of note, nearly 12% of high school students report cigar use — not far less than the 15.8% cigarette rate. The shift to other tobacco products — cigars, smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes — needs to be monitored closely. Tobacco use continues to be less socially appealing, but young people will continue to experiment, and the more products that are available to them, the more opportunities they have to experiment. Surveillance needs to be vigilant in accounting for the use of all tobacco products.Click Here to Manage Email Alerts