The CDC’s latest survey of tobacco use among young people in America was released yesterday. For those of us interested in the betterment of our nation’s public health, the strikingly good news was evident. Given that cigarette smoking is our nation’s #1 public health emergency (not Ebola) and that 90 percent of smokers begin as teens, the news may be the best possible trend imaginable: teen smoking rates continued their dramatic declines of the past three years! The recent youth smoking rates are these:
2000: ~25 percent
2011: 18.1 percent
2012: 14 percent
2013: 12.7 percent
Note: Adult smoking rates have remained ~19.5 percent for the past few years.
on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 10:30 admin
