Youth and Tobacco Use: Current Estimates

Cigarette Smoking

• In 2007, 20% of high school students in the United States were current cigarette smokers—approximately 19% of females and 21% of males.¹
• Among racial and ethnic subgroups, approximately 23% of white, 17% of Hispanic, and 12% of African American high school students were current cigarette smokers in 2007¹
• In 2006, approximately 6% of middle school students in this country were current cigarette smokers,² with estimates of 6% for females and 6% for males.²
• Among racial and ethnic subgroups, approximately 7% of white, 7% of Hispanic, 6% of African American, and 3% of Asian American middle school students were current cigarette smokers in 2006.²
• Each day in the United States, approximately 3,900 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 years smoke their first cigarette.³
• Each day in the United States, an estimated 1,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 years become daily cigarette smokers (i.e., defined as ever smoking every day for at least 30 days).³

Other Tobacco Use

• More than 13% of high school students were current cigar smokers in 2007, with estimates higher for males (19%) than for females (8%).⁴
• Nationally, an estimated 4% of all middle school students were current smokeless tobacco users in 2006, with estimates slightly higher for males (5%) than for females (3%).²
• An estimated 13% of males in high school were current smokeless tobacco users in 2007.⁴
• An estimated 4% of males in middle school were current smokeless tobacco users in 2006.²
• In 2006, approximately 3 percent of high school students were current users of bidis; bidi use among males was (3%) and (2%) for females.² Among middle school students, approximately 2% were bidi users, with estimates of 2% for males and 2% for females.²

Factors Associated with Tobacco Use among Youth

• Some factors associated with youth tobacco use include low socioeconomic status, use and approval of tobacco use by peers or siblings, smoking by parents or guardians, accessibility, availability and price of tobacco products, a perception that tobacco use is normative, lack of parental support or involvement, low levels of academic achievement, lack of skills to resist influences to tobacco use, lower self-image or self-esteem, belief in functional benefits of tobacco use, and lack of self-efficacy to refuse offers of tobacco.^5,6
• Tobacco use in adolescence is associated with many other health risk behaviors, including high-risk sexual behavior and use of alcohol or other drugs.⁵

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cigarette Use Among High School Students—United States, 1991–2007. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report [serial online]. 2008: 57(25):686–688 [accessed 2009 Jan 10].
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2006 National Youth Tobacco Survey and Key Prevalence Indicators. (PDF–90 KB) [accessed 2009 Jan 10].
3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Results from the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables . (PDF–26.04 KB) Rockville (MD): Office of Applied Studies [accessed 2009 Sept 23].
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2007. Morbidity and Mortality Surveillance Summary. 2008: 57(4):1–131 [accessed 2009 Jan 10].
5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 1994 [accessed 2009 Jan 10].
6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Reducing Tobacco Use: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2000 [accessed 2009 Jan 10].

For Further Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health
E-mail: tobaccoinfo@cdc.gov
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO

Media Inquiries: Contact CDC's Office on Smoking and Health press line at 770-488-5493.