Youth and Tobacco Use

Description

Youth and Tobacco Use

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Background

Estimates of Current Tobacco Use Among Youth

Factors Associated With Youth Tobacco Use

Reducing Youth Tobacco Use

References

Youth use of tobacco in any form is unsafe.

If smoking continues at the current rate among youth in this country, 5.6 million of today’s Americans

younger than 18 will die early from a smoking-related illness. That’s about 1 of every 13 Americans

aged 17 years or younger alive today. 1

Background

Preventing tobacco use among youth is critical to ending the tobacco epidemic in the United States.

Tobacco use is started and established primarily during adolescence. 2,3

o Nearly 9 out of 10 cigarette smokers first tried smoking by age 18, and 99% first tried

smoking by age 26. 1,3

o Each day in the United States, more than 3,200 youth aged 18 years or younger smoke their

first cigarette, and an additional 2,100 youth and young adults become daily cigarette

smokers. 3

Flavorings in tobacco products can make them more appealing to youth. 4

o In 2014, 73% of high school students and 56% of middle school students who used tobacco

products in the past 30 days reported using a flavored tobacco product during that time.

Estimates of Current Tobacco Use Among Youth

Cigarette smoking has declined among U.S. youth in recent years, but the use of some other

tobacco products has increased. 5

Cigarettes

 From 2011 to 2015, current cigarette smoking declined among middle and high school

students. 5,6

o About 2 of every 100 middle school students (2.3%) reported in 2015 that they smoked

cigarettes in the past 30 days—a decrease from 4.3% in 2011.

o About 9 of every 100 high school students (9.3%) reported in 2015 that they smoked

cigarettes in the past 30 days—a decrease from 15.8% in 2011.

Electronic cigarettes

 Current use of electronic cigarettes increased among middle and high school students from

2011 to 2015. 5,6

o About 5 of every 100 middle school students (5.3%) reported in 2015 that they used

electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days—an increase from 0.6% in 2011.

o 16 of every 100 high school students (16.0%) reported in 2015 that they used electronic

cigarettes in the past 30 days—an increase from 1.5% in 2011.

Hookahs

 From 2011 to 2015, current use of hookahs increased among middle and high school students. 5,6

o 2 of every 100 middle school students (2.0%) reported in 2015 that they had used hookah in

the past 30 days—an increase from 1.0% in 2011.

o About 7 of every 100 high school students (7.2%) reported in 2015 that they had used

hookah in the past 30 days—an increase from 4.1% in 2011.