Tobacco Use and Miami-Dade County, Florida Students 
 
What is the problem? 
  The 2011 Miami-Dade County, Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicates that among high 
school students: 
 
For Cigarette Use 
  34% ever tried cigarette smoking (even one or two puffs). 
  11% smoked cigarettes on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey. 
  3% smoked cigarettes on 20 or more days during the 30 days before the survey. 
  3% smoked cigarettes on school property on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the 
survey. 
  60% did not try to quit smoking cigarettes, among students who currently smoked cigarettes, 
during the 12 months before the survey. 
 
For Other Tobacco Use 
  4% used chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey.
  2% used chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip on school property on at least 1 day during the 30 days
before the survey. 
  9% smoked cigars, cigarillos, or little cigars on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the
survey. 
 
For Any Tobacco Use 
  12% smoked cigarettes; smoked cigars, cigarillos or little cigars; or used chewing tobacco, 
snuff, or dip on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey. 
 
What are the solutions? 
  Better health education 
  More family and community involvement 
  Healthier school environments 
 
What is the status? 
  The 2010 Miami-Dade County, Florida School Health Profiles indicates that among high schools: 
 
In Health Education 
  16% required students to take 2 or more health education courses. 
  76% had a health education curriculum that addresses all 8 national standards for health 
education. 
  62% taught 15 key tobacco-use prevention topics in a required course. 
  34% had a lead health education teacher who received professional development during the 2 
years before the survey on tobacco-use prevention. 
 
In Family and Community Involvement 
  40% provided families with health information to increase parent and family knowledge of 
tobacco-use prevention. 
 
In School Environment 
  53% prohibited all tobacco use at all times in all locations including cigarettes, smokeless 
tobacco, cigars, and pipes; by students, faculty and school staff, and visitors; in school 
buildings; outside on school grounds; on school buses or other vehicles used to transport 
students; and at off-campus, school-sponsored events; during school hours and non-school hours. 
  44% sometimes, almost always, or always required students who were caught smoking cigarettes 
to participate in an assistance, education, or cessation program. 
  56% provided tobacco cessation services for students, faculty, and staff at school or through 
arrangements with providers not on school property. 
  93% posted signs marking a tobacco-free school zone.  
  55% used the School Health Index or a similar self-assessment tool to assess their policies, 
activities, and programs in tobacco-use prevention. 
 
Where can I get more information?   
Visit www.cdc.gov/yrbss or call 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636). 
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention 
Division of Adolescent and School Health