Survey: Teen Tobacco Use Decreasing

Source from:  By Raquel C. Bagnol Variety News Staff 04/01/2008

THE trend of tobacco use among high school and middle school students in the CNMI went down from 2001 to 2007. This was based on the results of the youth risk behavior survey conducted by the Public School System every other year. From a 79.4 percent result in the survey for middle school students who have ever tried cigarette smoking even one or two puffs in 2001, the figure dropped to 68.6 percent in 2003, 58.5 in 2005 and finally to 56.6 percent last year. The statistics for the high school students reported an 87.9 percent in 2003 dropped to 82.7 percent in 2005 and finally to 78.1 percent in 2007. The reports showed a steady downhill trend in the survey for middle school and high schools in the other areas as well, like the percentage of students who smoked one or more cigarettes in the past 30 days, or the percentage of students who smoked 20 or more cigarettes in the past 30 days. The survey showed a steady decrease in the number of middle school students who reported that they bought the cigarettes they used from a store or gas station. There is also drop in the percentage of students who smoked cigarettes daily or at least one stick of cigarette a day within the last 30 days. From 17.3 percent in 2001, the figure dropped to 12.8 percent in 2003, to 7.7 percent in 2005 and finally to 7.1 percent last year. There is also a noticeable decrease in the percentage of middle school students who used chewing tobacco, snuff or dip once or more during the last 30 days of the survey, or smoked cigars, and cigarillos or little cigars. But the percentage of high school students who were below 18 years old and who reported buying their own cigarettes from a store or gas station showed within the last 30 days of the survey increased slightly from 29.5 percent in 2005 to 30.8 percent last year. Based on observations by the Department of Public Health's Community Guidance Center, exposure of the children to smoking, second hand smoking and other substance poses a risk that leads them to resort to smoking later. Enditem