NCJ Number
169086
Date Published
1996
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Cigarette smoking continued to rise among American secondary school students for the fifth year in a row, according to a recent national survey of students in grades 8, 10, and 12.
Abstract
Between 1995 and 1996, the percentage of students who reported they smoked in the 30 days prior to the survey rose by about 10 percent among 8th and 10th graders. Between 1991 and 1996, the number of students reporting they smoked in the prior 30 days rose from 14 to 21 percent among 8th graders and from 21 to 30 percent among 10 graders. Among 12th graders, proportional increases were less but still appreciable. Current smoking rose from 28 to 34 percent among 12th graders. Substantial increases in smoking occurred in virtually every sociodemographic group, among boys and girls, among those bound for college and those not, and among respondents in all regions of the country and in urban and rural areas. Respondents without future college plans were more likely to smoke than those who had college plans, while black young people were substantially less likely to smoke than white young people. Increased smoking was attributed to massive advertising and promotional efforts of the tobacco industry and the extensive portrayal of smoking by role models in the media. Many young people said cigarettes were easily available to them and did not see a great risk in smoking a pack a day. 3 tables and 5 figures