Youth Prevention

Research

CDC releases results of 2005 YRBS and 2002 YTS
The CDC has released the results of the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), which surveys tobacco use and other health risk behaviors among high school students. For the first time since 1997, the survey shows an increase in the past-month smoking rate among high school students, from 21.9 percent in 2003 to 23 percent in 2005. The data corroborate the findings of the most recent Youth Tobacco Survey and Monitoring the Future survey, which also found that youth smoking rates have leveled off after declining dramatically beginning in the mid-1990s. According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, this leveling off coincides with two other trends: Cuts totaling more than 25 percent in state tobacco prevention funding since 2002 and dramatic increases in tobacco marketing of more than 125 percent since the 1998 state tobacco settlement. Click here to view the full 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey results. National and state-specific tobacco data can be found beginning on page 54. Click here to view the full statement from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Global Youth Tobacco Survey examines cigarette use among students worldwide
The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), initiated in 1999 by the World Health Organization (WHO), CDC, and the Canadian Public Health Association, is a school-based survey of 13-15 year olds that includes questions on prevalence of cigarette and other tobacco use; attitudes toward tobacco; access to tobacco products; exposure to secondhand smoke, school curricula on tobacco, media, and advertising; and smoking cessation. GYTS data indicate that nearly two of every 10 students reported currently using a tobacco product. Tobacco use was highest in the American and European regions and lowest in the South-East Asian and Western Pacific regions. Boys were significantly more likely than girls to currently use any tobacco products in the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asian, and Western Pacific regions. Click here to view the report.

Anti-smoking ads that elicit disgust more effective than counter-industry ads among youth
A research team from the University of California, Irvine has examined the effectiveness of eight different types of antismoking advertisements representing health, counterindustry, and industry approaches. They tested the hypothesis that health ads about tobacco victims can lower most adolescents' intent to smoke if the ads elicit disgust and anti-industry feelings rather than fear. Ads focusing on young victims suffering from serious tobacco-related diseases elicited disgust, enhanced anti-industry motivation, and reduced intent to smoke among all but conduct-disordered adolescents. Counterindustry and industry ads did not significantly lower smoking intention. The team reached the conclusion that sponsors of tobacco use prevention ad campaigns should consider using ads showing tobacco-related disease and suffering, not just counterindustry ads. View the abstract to learn more about the study.

Ads with relaxing themes influence teen girls’ intention to smoke
A study published in Addictive Behaviors examined whether gender moderates the degree to which themes of relaxation in cigarette ads is related to the intent to smoke among teens who have never smoked before. The researchers found that a relationship exists for adolescent females but not males. View the abstract for more information.

Comparing health impact of increasing cigarette taxes to raising legal smoking age to 21
A study published in Health Policy presents the results of a 75-year dynamic simulation model comparing the long-term health benefits to society of various levels of tax increase to a viable alternative: limiting youth access to cigarettes by raising the legal purchase age to 21. The researchers conclude that if the political climate continues to favor only moderate cigarette excise tax increases, raising the smoking age should be considered to reduce the health burden of smoking on society. The health benefits of large tax increases, however, would be greater and would accrue faster than raising the minimum legal purchase age for cigarettes. View the abstract for additional information.

Study finds that laws banning sales to minors don’t work
A study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that laws intended to prevent the sale of tobacco to minors do not prevent youth from smoking, regardless of retailer compliance rates. The study was a review of studies on the issue, most of which had been conducted in the United States. Click here for more information.

Smokeless tobacco use declines among teen boys
Research published in the May 2006 issue of American Journal of Public Health indicates that smokeless tobacco use has declined rapidly among adolescent boys since the 1990’s. Use among teen girls and adults has shown little change and remains low. View the abstract to learn more.

College students tend to smoke more on weekends
Research featured in the April 2006 issue of Addictive Behaviors provides new insight into smoking behavior among college students that may be useful for program planning. Researchers from the University of Buffalo found that among college students, the probability of smoking was much higher on weekends than during the week and that there was an overall trend for smoking to decline over the course of the year. Substantial individual variability in levels of smoking was observed. View the abstract for additional information.

Gendered dimensions of smoking among college students
A group of researchers from several universities conducted ethnographic research to examine the gendered dimensions of smoking among low-level smokers, including the acceptability of smoking in different contexts; reasons for smoking; the monitoring of self and friends’ smoking; and shared smoking as a means of communicating concern and empathy. The study is featured in the May 2006 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Research. View the abstract for information on the findings.

Relationship of magazine ads to teen smoking
An article in the April/May 2006 issue of the Journal of Health Communication found that exposure to cigarette advertising and recognition of ads augment the effect of passive peer pressure on smoking among teens. In addition, a positive smoker image was associated with attention to advertising and mediated the relation between attention and smoking. It is suggested that the effect of magazine ads on adolescents should be considered in policymaking on cigarette advertising. View the abstract for more information.

Childhood depression linked to smoking among youth
A Finnish study presented at the most recent American Psychological Association meeting suggests that boys who suffer from depression are more likely to become adult smokers. Of the boys studied, those with depressive symptoms at age 8 were 20% more likely to smoke at age 18 and were 40% more likely to become heavy smokers. Click here for additional information. Another study, featured in the June issue of Tobacco Control, found that adolescent smoking is associated with depressive symptoms, in addition to intensity of recent cigarette consumption and slow nicotine metabolism. Individuals with depression may smoke in order to self-medicate, as nicotine can reduce anxiety and improves cognition.

Smoking related to stress and self-esteem in young women
An article in the May/June 2006 issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior found that female gender and smoking were both related to lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of perceived stress. View the abstract for additional information.

Point-of-sale cigarette advertising affects children
An article in Health Education Research shows that by creating a sense of familiarity with tobacco, cigarette advertising and bold packaging displays in stores where children often visit may help to pre-dispose them to smoking. Students who saw the cigarette advertising perceived it would be less likely they would be asked for proof of age, and tended to think a greater number of stores would sell cigarettes to them, compared with respondents who saw no tobacco products. View the abstract for more information.

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National

truth® embarks on 7th annual summer tour
truth®, the nation’s largest smoking prevention campaign for youth, began its 7th annual nationwide summer tour on June 4th. The tour allows teens the opportunity to engage in peer-to-peer interaction with truth® crew members, spreading the truth about the addictiveness of tobacco products, the adverse health effects of tobacco use, and the social consequences of smoking; and, ultimately, counteracting the marketing tactics used by the tobacco industry. truth® is a program of the American Legacy Foundation and is a multi-dimensional campaign, featuring advertising (television, radio, print), Web site and interactive elements, events, and grassroots outreach through summer and winter tours.

Throughout the summer, truth® “trucks” will criss-cross the country, making stops in 50 cities in 28 states. The state-of the art trucks are fully equipped with DJ decks, video monitors, and more. For more information, visit www.thetruth.com.

Chevron limits tobacco sales to youth
Chevron Products Company (Chevron) plans to adopt new procedures and contractual requirements to reduce sales of tobacco products to minors at company-owned and franchise retail outlets across the country. The company voluntarily entered the agreement with 27 states and Washington, D.C., affecting sales at more than 8,000 Chevron outlets in the 28 jurisdictions. The agreement is the 10th achieved by an ongoing, multistate enforcement effort led by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer. Previous agreements reached by the 28 jurisdictions cover the sale of smoking materials in Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS Pharmacy and 7-Eleven stores. View the statement from the California Attorney General’s Office for more information.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids honors 2006 Youth Advocates of the Year
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids recently announced the winners of the 2006 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards, an annual competition that honors young people who have made outstanding contributions to tobacco prevention. The youth advocates will receive educational scholarships and grants to continue their tobacco prevention efforts and serve as ambassadors for the Campaign. The 2006 Youth Advocates of the Year are:

National: Kaitlyn Reilly, 12th grade, Dover, NH
International Grant Winner: Anjali Gupta, 12th grade, Hockessin, DE
East Region: Emily Martuscello, 10th grade, Dover, NH
South Region: Chad Bullock, 11th grade, Durham, NC
Central Region: Lauren Baisden, 11th grade, Hurley, WI
West Region: DJ DeRego, 9th grade, Juneau, AK
Group: stand, Ohio

Click here for more information on the honorees.

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States

Arizona:

University of Arizona awarded grant to study rising smoking rates among young adults
The state health department has awarded the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health $100,000 to examine increasing smoking rates among young adults in the state. The funding will be used to conduct phone interviews with young adult smokers and former smokers. Click here for additional information.

California:

California school district awarded grant to implement anti-tobacco program
The Chino Valley Unified School District in California has been awarded $400,000 in grant money from a state fund to implement Project HALT (Healthy Adolescents Loathing Tobacco), which educates students about smoking dangers through educational courses and anti-tobacco advocacy events. Click here for more information.

Connecticut:

Fewer high school students in Connecticut smoking
A survey in Connecticut shows that fewer high school students are smoking and drinking. Currently, 17 percent of high school students in the state smoke, lower than the national average of 22 percent and down from 35 percent eight years ago. Click here for more information.

Kansas:

Kansas works to improve retailer compliance on sales to minors
Last year, Kansas was the only state that failed to reach the 80 percent compliance mark mandated by the Federal Synar Regulation. The Reward and Reminder program has been implemented in Lawrence in order prepare clerks for visits from the actual enforcement agents. Forty-five out of 63 stores visited in the city thus far have refused to sell cigarettes to a minor. When visiting the stores, the under-age volunteers handed out $5 bills and cards congratulating clerks if they refused to sell them cigarettes. Clerks who began a sale were handed “Bad News” cards explaining the laws that ban cigarette sales to minors. Click here for additional information on the program.

Massachusetts:

Single cigarette purchases occurring in Massachusetts
As a result of decreased funding for enforcement, retailers in Brockton, MA have been found to be selling single cigarettes to individuals. Individual cigarette sales are illegal as they make it easier for youth to afford cigarettes. Click here to learn more.

New York:

Smoking among New York City youth exposed to World Trade Center attack
In a study published recently in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers examined exposure to the World Trade Center attack and changes in cigarette smoking and drinking among 2,732 New York city public high school students six months after the attack. They found that increased smoking was not directly associated with exposure to the attack, but was slightly significantly associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The researchers suggest that targeted interventions for youths may be warranted after large-scale disasters. View the abstract for more information.

Nevada:

Carson, NV targets tobacco retailers
The Carson City Council has unanimously passed an ordinance requiring cigarette retailers to pay for a city permit. The Carson Coalition for Tobacco-Free Youth pushed for the measure after finding that children were able to purchase cigarettes from Carson retailers 24.2% of the time. Click here for additional information.


North Carolina:

North Carolina store clerks arrested for underage sales
North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement agents recently evaluated 47 retail outlets in Wake County and arrested 16 store clerks for selling cigars, cigarettes, snuff, or bulk tobacco to customers younger than 18. Click here for more information.

North Dakota

North Dakota high schoolers smoking less
CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicates that North Dakota's high school students are smoking less frequently. Twenty-two percent of those surveyed said they smoked cigarettes in the past month, a decrease from 30 percent in 2003. Click here to learn more.

Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania Department of Health’s “Check It” campaign begins
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has begun its “Check It” campaign to remind residents that if they appear to be under 27 years of age, they should expect to be carded when purchasing tobacco products. The campaign also asks adults to assume responsibility for keeping tobacco products away from youth. Click here for more information on the campaign.

Virginia:

More teens in Virginia smoking
According to a preliminary survey conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University, Smoking rates among Virginia high school students rose slightly from 2003 to 2005 after dropping in the previous two years. In 2005, almost 22 percent of Virginia high school students said they had smoked cigarettes one or more days in the previous month, up from 21 percent in 2003. Click here for more information.

Washington:

Washington youth present Spanish-language anti-smoking radio show
Three female teenagers from Yakima, Washington volunteer as DJs on a Spanish-language radio show, “Ya Deja de Fumar,” that encourages other Hispanic youth to stop smoking. "Ya Deja de Fumar," which means "stop smoking already," is one of three new local programs made possible by a $50,000 increase in Department of Health funding for tobacco education in Yakima County this year. Click here for more information on the show.

Teen smoking rate falls in Washington state
CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicates that Washington’s high school students are smoking less frequently. The state’s teen smoking rate has dropped consistently since 2000, from 22.7% of 12th graders in 2002 to 19.7% in 2004. Click here to learn more.

Wisconsin:

Wisconsin student hits the airwaves to spread anti-smoking message
Martinez White, a member of Wisconsin’s Fighting Against Corporate Tobacco, has created a spoken word commercial that will air on radio and TV. Click here to learn more about his anti-smoking message.

 

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