Skip Navigation Links
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDC Home Search Health Topics A-Z

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Healthy Youth

Healthy Youth

Health Topics
Tobacco Use

Contact Us


Health Topics
Tobacco Use

ON THIS PAGE
Data & Statistics
Science-based Strategies
National, State, and Local Programs
Publications & Links
References

Tobacco use, including cigarette smoking, cigar smoking, and smokeless tobacco use, is the single leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Each year smoking causes approximately 435,000 premature deaths and over 5 million years of potential life lost.1 Every day, approximately 4,000 American youth aged 12-17 try their first cigarette.2 If current patterns of smoking behavior continue, an estimated 6.4 million of today's children can be expected to die prematurely from a smoking-related disease.3 In 2003, 22% of high schools students reported current cigarette use and 15% reported current cigar use. In addition, 7% of high school students and 13% of white male high school students reported current smokeless tobacco use.4

checkmark Tobacco Use Fact Sheet [pdf 230K] — General information on tobacco use among youth.
Also available in accessible format as HTML.

Data & Statistics

School Health Policies and Programs Study
SHPPS is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and programs at the state, district, school, and classroom levels, including those related to preventing tobacco use.

See these SHPPS fact sheets:
bullet point Tobacco-Use Prevention [pdf 280K]
See also:
bullet point States that require a tobacco-free school environment
bullet point SHPPS overview
bullet point All SHPPS fact sheets [including accessible formats]

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
The YRBSS monitors behaviors that contribute markedly to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States.

See YRBSS data:
bullet point Tobacco Use (in Youth Online)
bullet point Cigarette Use Trends [pdf 150K]
bullet point Tobacco Use Trends [pdf 145K]
See also:
bullet point Youth Online: Comprehensive Results
bullet point YRBSS overview
bullet point All YRBSS trend fact sheets [including accessible formats]

Science-based Strategies

Guidelines
See School Health Guidelines: Tobacco Use for strategies most likely to be effective in preventing tobacco use and addiction among young people.

Ten Strategies for Promoting Physical Activity, Healthy Eating, and a Tobacco-Free Lifestyle [pdf 60K] lists actions that schools can take to support these guidelines.

School Health Index
The School Health Index can help schools implement these guidelines and related strategies. This self-assessment and planning tool enables schools to identify the strengths and weaknesses of health promotion policies and programs and assist schools in developing an action plan for improving the school environment.

National, State, and Local Programs

CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) supports the development and implementation of effective health promotion policies and programs that address priority health risks among youth. For information about the actions that state agencies can implement to address these health risks, see Building a Healthier Future Through School Health Programs [pdf 180K] — a chapter of the CDC publication Promising Practices in Chronic Disease Prevention and Control.

Project Partners provides information on DASH funded state, local, and territorial education agencies, and national non-governmental organizations. These partners are funded to help build and/or strengthen their capacity to improve child and adolescent health.

Registries of Effective Programs lists federally sponsored registries that include programs effective in reducing youth risk behaviors.

Program Evaluation Materials provides resources for using program evaluation to better document program activities, report achievements, and improve program effectiveness.

Publications & Links

bullet point Publications — Selected publications on tobacco use.
bullet point Links — Other CDC programs and other federal agencies support national, state, and local efforts to promote a tobacco-free lifestyle.

References

  1. Fellows JL, Trosclair A, Adams EK, Rivera CC. Annual smoking attributable mortality, years of potential life lost and economic costs: United States 1995-1999. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2002;51:300-303.
     
  2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Summary of findings from the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Volume II. Technical appendices and selected data tables. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002;NHSDA Series H-18;DHHS publication no. (SMA) 02-3759.
     
  3. CDC. Office on Smoking and Health, 2002 calculations based upon: Smoking attributable mortality and years of potential life loss—United States, 1984. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1997;46:444-451.
     
  4. Grunbaum JA, Kann L, Kinchen S, Ross J, Hawkins J, Lowry R, et al. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2003. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2004;53(SS-2):1-95.

Back to Top

Documents on this page are available in Portable Document Format (PDF). Learn more about viewing and printing these documents with Acrobat Reader.

 



Privacy Policy | Accessibility

Healthy Youth Home | Contact Us

CDC Home | Search | Health Topics A-Z

This page last reviewed November 01, 2004

Department of Health Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Division of Adolescent and School Health