Tobacco.org

• Donna E. Shalala: National Household Survey Press Conference 

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.

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• Highlights 

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

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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>

• New study highlights teen cigarette brands 

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.

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