Email
Password
(Forgot Password?)
Massachusetts ranked in the middle of the states for cigarette use for ages 12 to 25, and lower than most states for those 26 and older. [This graph only]
Jump to full article »
The good news? Coloradans smoke less than the national average. The survey shows that 24.6 of Coloradans reported using cigarettes, as opposed to the national average of nearly 26 percent. Still, the number of young smokers in Colorado age 12 to 17 slightly exceeds the national average. [This graph only]
The study also examined cigarette use, and Massachusetts was ranked in the middle of the states for ages 12 to 25, and lower than most states for those 26 and older. Massachusetts has conducted one of the most aggressive anti-tobacco campaigns in the nation.
President Clinton said the results also showed that federal efforts to curb smoking and drinking among teens were working and urged Congress to fully fund the administration's Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.
"While today's report shows underage alcohol use is still at unacceptable levels, it also shows that tobacco use among young people is beginning to decline significantly following a period of increases earlier in the 1990s," Clinton said. "These findings prove that we are successfully reversing dangerous trends and making important progress." [This graph only]
It estimates that 6,400 people tried marijuana for the first time in 1998. That year, an estimated 1.6 million people -- half younger than 18 -- took up cigarette smoking. And 4.9 million tried cigars for the first time in 1998, up from 1.5 million new cigar smokers in 1991.
"We have a long way to go," Dr.
Shalala said, "miles to go in our journey to a drug free America." [This graph only]
The most alarming data released today show the continuing impact of tobacco advertising on kids, even in the wake of the state settlement agreement that prohibits the tobacco companies from targeting children. The survey shows that three of the most heavily advertised cigarette brands, Marlboro, Camel, and Newport, account for the vast majority of adolescent cigarette smoking . .
These results are powerful evidence that the tobacco companies continue to target kids with devastating effectiveness. Despite its claims to have changed, Philip Morris clearly has not changed by one critical yardstick: it is still first by far in addicting kids.
Today’s survey data confirm that we need meaningful restrictions in how tobacco companies market their products before we will see dramatic reductions in youth tobacco use.
The pattern was the same for cigarette use. Among teens, cigarette use decreased from 19.9 percent in 1997 to 15.9 percent in 1999. For the very first time, the survey also captured which cigarette brands were most popular among adolescents. More than half of white and Hispanic youth smokers reported Marlboro as their usual brand—while nearly three-quarters of African-American teen smokers reported that Newport is their first choice. Despite the declining numbers, all of us—parents, teachers, the government, media—still need to do more to help our young people see through the tobacco companies’ smokescreen of deceit. . .
To paraphrase the poet, we have miles to go in our journey to a drug free America. We have miles to go when 14.8 million Americans were current users of illicit drugs in 1999. And we have miles to go if even a single young person is letting his or her dreams—and life—go up in a cloud of marijuana or cigarette smoke.
An estimated 66.8 million Americans reported current use of a tobacco product in 1999, a prevalence rate of 30.2 percent for the population 12 and older. Of this total, 57.0 million (25.8 percent) smoked cigarettes, 12.1 million (5.5 percent) smoked cigars, 7.6 million (3.4 percent) used smokeless tobacco, and 2.4 million (1.1 percent) smoked tobacco in pipes.
Current cigarette smoking rates increase steadily by year of age, from 2.2 percent at age 12 to 43.5 percent at age 20. Overall, 14.9 percent of youths age 12 to 17 years in 1999 smoked cigarettes currently. Among young adults age 18 to 25 years, the rate was 39.7 percent, and among adults age 26 and older the rate was 24.9 percent.
Three brands account for most of adolescent cigarette smoking. 54.5 percent of current smokers 12 to 17 years of age report Marlboro as their usual brand. Newport was reported by 21.6 percent of youth smokers, and Camel was reported by 9.8 percent. No other cigarette brand was reported by even 2 percent of youths. . .
Youths age 12-17 who currently smoked cigarettes were seven times more likely to use illicit drugs than youths who didn't smoke. . .
An estimated 1.6 million people began smoking cigarettes daily in 1998. About half of these new smokers were younger than age 18. This translates to more than 4,000 new regular smokers per day, of which more than 2,000 are youths. . .
An estimated 4.9 million people tried cigars for the first time in 1998, about 13,000 per day. This represents a threefold increase in cigar initiation since 1991
Three brands account for most of adolescent cigarette smoking. 54.5 percent of current smokers 12 to 17 years of age report Marlboro as their usual brand. Newport was reported by 21.6 percent of youth smokers, and Camel was reported by 9.8 percent. No other cigarette brand was reported by even 2 percent of youths.1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) <I>Highlights</I>
An estimated 66.8 million Americans age 12 and older used a tobacco product in 1999. This estimate represents 30.2 percent of the population, and has remained steady. [1999 NHS]
According to the 1999 NHS national trend data, current cigarette smoking among youths age 12-17 was 15.9 percent, not statistically different than in 1998 (18.2 percent), but significantly lower than the rate in 1997 (19.9 percent). [1999 NHS]
Black teens overwhelmingly choose Newport cigarettes while white and Hispanic teens prefer Marlboro, according to a study on Thursday that anti-smoking groups said proved the power of brand advertising.
Tobacco companies have consistently denied targeting youths in their campaigns to win new smokers. Under an agreement reached in 1998, tobacco firms are forbidden from targeting youths.
But research director for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Danny McGoldrick said the survey showed that children who smoke continued to be influenced by advertising and were more likely than adults to pick the most heavily advertised brands -- Marlboro, Newport and Camel.
The Department of Health and Human Services' annual survey on drug abuse, smoking and alcohol said among 12 to 17 year olds, nearly 75 percent of African-Americans chose Newport while more than half of young white and Hispanic smokers named Marlboro as their usual brand.
"It's going to go down again for sure next year," Barry McCaffrey, President Clinton's drug policy adviser, said of teen drug use. "These prevention and education programs are working."
The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse was released by McCaffrey and Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala. . .
The survey also tracked tobacco and alcohol use among teen-agers in the likelihood such youth would also use illegal drugs.
McCaffrey cautioned there is not a statistically provable relationship but said parents need to be aware that if their children use tobacco or alcohol, that can be an entry to drug use.