Fewer youths smoking, survey finds
A combined approach against tobacco is cited for the decline
Cigarette smoking among middle school and high school students has dropped significantly since 1993, according to youth survey results released yesterday by the state Department of Health.
In 1993, when the Health Department first administered its Youth Tobacco Survey, about 28.2 percent of middle school (grades 6 to 8) and high school (9 to 12) students smoked. As of 2005 that number dropped to half.
"These are very, very significant changes," said Julian Lipsher, of the state Tobacco Prevention and Education Program.
The report found that fewer middle- and high-schoolers are experimenting with smoking. For example, in 2000 more than 38 percent of middle-schoolers said they had tried smoking, and 12.9 percent considered themselves smokers. Today, only 20 percent of middle-schoolers have tried a cigarette, and only about 5 percent consider themselves smokers.
Among high-schoolers, the self-reporting survey found that in 2000 more than 63 percent of high-schoolers said they had tried to smoke a cigarette, and 24.5 percent considered themselves regular smokers. In sharp contrast, the most recent survey found that 43.6 percent of high-schoolers reported they had tried cigarettes, and 12.6 percent considered themselves regular smokers.
Lipsher said the numbers show the "the kinds of programs being done in schools and communities to address youth smoking are working."
He said it is a combined approach rather than one advertising campaign, county nonsmoking ordinance or in-school program that is helping.
"The money being spent on tobacco prevention and control is starting to pay immediate benefits in with fewer kids and even adults smoking, and that also means that fewer people are being exposed to secondhand smoke."
He added that as smoking decreases, "we will see lower medical-care costs, and employers will see fewer lost days and lost productivity."