Usual Sources of Cigarettes for Middle and High School Students—Texas, 1998–1999

In 1998–1999, laws and regulations were in place in Texas to reduce underage access to tobacco products.
Usual sources of cigarettes for middle school students changed from 1998–1999.
From 1998 through 1999, access to cigarettes from stores decreased from 13.2% to 5.3% among middle school students.
From 1998 through 1999, access to cigarettes from vending machines decreased from 7.6% to 1.7% for middle school students.
Cigarette smoking prevalence among middle school students fell from 20% in 1998 to 14.8% in 1999.
Cigarette smoking prevalence among high school students remained virtually unchanged from 1998 to 1999 at 33% and 32.7% respectively.
Among middle school students, stealing cigarettes increased from 8.3 % in 1998 to 12.3% in 1999.
Among middle school students, 23.3% reported getting cigarettes from other sources in 1999, up from 16.6% in 1998.
Among high school students, most sources for cigarettes did not change.
The percentage of high school students obtaining cigarettes from a vending machine fell from 1.8% in 1998 to 1.0% in 1999.
The illegal sale rate of cigarettes to minors in Texas decreased from 24% in 1998 to 13% in 1999.
10.5% of high school students reported “getting cigarettes from an older person” in 1999, up from 8% in 1998.

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