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Health Topics
Tobacco Use
Tobacco Use and the Health of Young People
Tobacco Use by Young People
- Each day in the United States, approximately 4,000 adolescents aged
12-17 try their first cigarette.1
- Each year cigarette smoking accounts for approximately 1 of
every 5 deaths, or about 438,000 people. Cigarette smoking results
in 5.5 million years of potential life lost in the United States
annually.2
- Although the percentage of high school students who smoke has
declined in recent years, rates remain high: 20% of high school
students report current cigarette use (smoked cigarettes on at least
1 day during the 30 days before the survey).3
- Fifty percent of high school students have ever tried
cigarette smoking, even one or two puffs.3
- Fourteen percent of high school students have smoked a whole
cigarette before age 13.3
- Nearly eight percent of high school students (13% of male and 2%
of female students) used smokeless tobacco (e.g., chewing tobacco,
snuff, or dip), on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the
survey.3 Adolescents who use smokeless tobacco are more likely than
nonusers to become cigarette smokers.4
- Fourteen percent of high school students smoked cigars,
cigarillos, or little cigars on at least 1 day during the 30 days
before the survey.3
Prevalence of Current Cigarette Use Among
High School Students, 20073
|
Racial/Ethnic Group |
Male |
Female |
Overall |
|
Black (Non-Hispanic) |
14.9% |
8.4% |
11.6% |
|
Hispanic |
18.7% |
14.6% |
16.7% |
|
White (Non-Hispanic) |
23.8% |
22.5% |
23.2% |
|
Health Effects of Tobacco Use by Young People
- Cigarette smoking by young people leads to immediate and serious
health problems including respiratory and nonrespiratory effects,
addiction to nicotine, and the associated risk of other
drug use.4,5
- Smoking at an early age increases the risk of lung cancer. For
most smoking-related cancers, the risk rises as the individual
continues to smoke.4,5
- Cigarette smoking causes heart disease, stroke, chronic lung
disease, and cancers of the lung, mouth, pharynx, esophagus, and
bladder.4,5
- Use of smokeless tobacco causes cancers of the mouth, pharynx
and esophagus; gum recession; and an increased risk for heart
disease and stroke.4,5
- Smoking cigars increases the risk of oral, laryngeal,
esophageal, and lung cancers.5,6
Nicotine Addiction Among Young People
- The younger people begin smoking cigarettes, the more likely they
are to become strongly addicted to nicotine. Young people who try to
quit suffer the same nicotine withdrawal symptoms as adults who try to
quit.4
- Several studies have found nicotine to be addictive in ways similar
to heroin, cocaine, and alcohol. Of all addictive behaviors, cigarette
smoking is the one most likely to become established during adolescence.4
- Among high school students who are current smokers, 50% have tried
to quit smoking cigarettes during the 12 months before the survey.3
Tobacco Sales and Promoting to Youth
- All states have laws making it illegal to sell cigarettes to
anyone under the age of 18, yet 16% of students under the age of 18
who currently smoke cigarettes reported they usually obtained their
own cigarettes by buying them in a store or gas station during the
30 days before the survey.3
- Cigarette companies spent more than $15.2 billion in 2003 to
promote their products.7
- Children and teenagers constitute the majority of all new
smokers, and the industry抯 advertising and promotion campaigns
often have special appeal to these young people.8
- Eighty-three percent of young smokers (aged 12-17) choose the
three most heavily advertised brands.9
Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke in Youth
- An estimated 10� million youth aged 12� live in a household
with at least one smoker, and over 6 million are exposed to
secondhand smoke daily.10
- Those most affected by secondhand smoke are children. Because
their bodies are still developing, exposure to the poisons in
secondhand smoke puts children in danger of severe respiratory
diseases and may hinder the growth of their lungs.5,11
- Secondhand smoke exposure during childhood and adolescence may
contribute to new cases of asthma or worsen existing asthma.5,11
- There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure. Even
brief exposure can be dangerous.11
References
-
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
Results From the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. [pdf
943K] Office
of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-27, DHHS Publication No. SMA 05�61.
Rockville, MD. [Accessed 2008 Jun 13].
-
CDC.
Annual
Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and
Productivity Losses桿nited States, 1997�01. Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report. 2005;54:625-628 [Accessed 2008 Jun 13].
-
CDC.
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance桿nited States, 2007 [pdf
1M] Morbidity &
Mortality Weekly Report. 2008;57(SS-4):1�1. [Accessed 2008 Jun 13].
-
CDC.
Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People: A Report of the Surgeon
General. [pdf 28M] Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
1994. [Accessed 2008 Jun 23].
-
CDC.
The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General.
Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2004.
[Accessed 2008 Jun 23].
-
CDC.
Cigar smoking among teenagers桿nited States, Massachusetts, and New
York, 1996 [pdf 302K]Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report 1997;46(20):433�9.
[Accessed 2008 Jun 23]
-
Federal Trade Commission.
Cigarette Report for 2003. [pdf 496K] Washington, DC: Federal Trade Commission;
2005. [Accessed 2008 Jun 23].
-
CDC.
Reducing Tobacco Use; A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000. [Accessed 2008 Jun
23]
-
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health: 2004 Detailed Tables,
Tobacco Brands. [pdf 112K] Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies; 2005. Available at:
. [Accessed 2008 Jun 23].
-
Farrelly MC, Chen J, Thomas KY, Healton CG. National
Youth Tobacco Survey, Legacy First Look Report 6. Youth Exposure to
Environmental Tobacco Smoke. Washington, DC: American Legacy Foundation.
May 2001.
-
CDC.
The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A
Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, Ga: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 2006. [Accessed 2008 Jun 23].
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October 2007
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