Some basic facts and figures
Lifetime
Cigarette Use
70.2% of students had ever tried cigarette smoking (even
one or two puffs).
Current
Cigarette Use
36.4% of
students had smoked cigarettes on >1 of the 30
days preceding the survey (i.e., current cigarette use).
White
students (39.7%) were significantly more likely than
Hispanic students (34.0%) and black students (22.7%) to
report current cigarette use. Hispanic students (34.0%)
were significantly more likely than black students (22.7%)
to report current cigarette use.
Frequent
Cigarette Use
16.7% of
students had smoked cigarettes on > 20 of the 3days preceding the survey
(i.e., frequent cigarette use).
White
students (19.9%) were significantly more likely than
Hispanic students (10.9%) and black students (7.1%) to
report frequent cigarette use.
Smokeless
Tobacco Use
9.3% of
students had used smokeless tobacco (chewing
tobacco or snuff) on >1 of the 30 days preceding thsurvey.
Male
students (15.8%) were significantly more likely than
female students (1.5%) to have used smokeless tobacco.
White
students (12.2%) were significantly more likely than
Hispanic students (5.1%) and black students (2.2%) to
have used smokeless tobacco.
Purchased
Cigarettes
9.8% of students (<18 years of age who reported current
cigarette use) had purchased their cigarettes in a store or
gas station during the 30 days preceding the survey.
Students in
grades 11 (36.7%) and 12 (43.5%) were
significantly more likely than students in grades 9 (17.8%)
and 10 (25.7%) to purchase cigarettes in a store or gas
station.
Proof of Age
Among students reporting current cigarette use, 66.7% of
those <18 years of age who purchased cigarettes in a store
or gas station had not been asked to show proof of age.
Students in
grade 9 (82.8%) were significantly more likely
than students in grades 11 (59.8%) and 12 (54.9%) not to
have been asked to show proof of age.
Lifetime
Alcohol Use
79.1% of
students had had at least one drink of alcohol
during their lifetime.
Hispanic
students (83.1%) and white students (81.3%)
were significantly more likely than black students (73.0%)
to have had at least one drink of alcohol during their
lifetime
Students in grades 11 (81.9%) and 12 (84.0%) were
significantly more likely than students in grade 9 (72.0%) to
have had at least one drink of alcohol during their lifetime.
Current
Alcohol Use
50.8% of
students had had at least one drink of alcohol on
> 1 of the 30 days preceding the survey (i.e., current
alcohol use).
White
students (54.0%) and Hispanic students (53.9%)
were significantly more likely than black students (36.9%)
to report current alcohol use.
Students in
grade 12 (57.3%) were significantly more likely
than students in grades 9 (44.2%) and 10 (47.2%) to report
current alcohol use.
Episodic
Heavy Drinking
33.4% of students had had five or more drinks of alcohol on
> 1 occasions during the 30 days preceding the survey (i.e.,
episodic heavy drinking).
Male
students (37.3%) were significantly more likely than
female students (28.6%) to report episodic heavy drinking.
White
students (37.7%) and Hispanic students (34.9%)
were significantly more likely than black students (16.1%)
to report episodic heavy drinking.
Students in
grades 11 (37.5%) and 12 (39.3%) were
significantly more likely than students in grades 9 (25.7%)
and 10 (29.9%) to report episodic heavy drinking.
nitiation of
Risk Behaviors
In 1997, as part of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a
national school-based Youth Risk Behavior Survey that resulted in
16,262 questionnaires completed by students in 151 schools.
These data are summarized from that survey. For more
information see CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United
States, 1997. MMWR 1998;47(No. SS-3).
Cigarette
Smoking
24.8% of
students had smoked a whole cigarette before 13
years of age.
Male
students (28.0%) were significantly more likely than
female students (20.9%) to have smoked a whole cigarette
before 13 years of age.
White
students (25.6%) and Hispanic students (24.9%)
were significantly more likely than black students (17.4%)
to have smoked a whole cigarette before 13 years of ageStudents in
grades 9 (32.0%) and 10 (27.5%) were
significantly more likely than students in grades 11 (22.2%)
and 12 (18.6%) to have smoked a whole cigarette before 13
years of age.
Alcohol Use
31.1% of students had first drunk alcohol (more than a few
sips) before 13 years of age.
Male
students (35.7%) were significantly more likely than
female students (25.7%) to have drunk alcohol before 13
years of age.
Hispanic
students (37.9%) were significantly more likely
than white students (28.8%) to have drunk alcohol before
13 years of age.
Students in
grade 9 (41.9%) were significantly more likely
than students in grades 10 (32.0%), 11 (29.9%), and 12
(22.8%) to have drunk alcohol before 13 years of age.
Students in grades 10 (32.0%) and 11 (29.9%) were
significantly more likely than students in grade 12 (22.8%)
to have drunk alcohol before 13 years of age.
Marijuana
Use
9.7% of
students had tried marijuana before 13 years of
age.
Male
students (12.2%) were significantly more likely than
female students (6.7%) to have tried marijuana before 13
years of age.
Hispanic
students (13.2%) were significantly more likely
than white students (7.5%) to have tried marijuana before
13 years of age.
Students in
grade 9 (14.9%) were significantly more likely
than students in grades 11 (8.3%) and 12 (5.8%) to have
tried marijuana before 13 years of age. Students in grade 10
(10.4%) were significantly more likely than students in
grade 12 (5.8%) to have tried marijuana before 13 years of
age.
Cocaine Use
1.1% of students had tried cocaine (including powder,
"crack" or "freebase" forms of cocaine) before 13 years of
age Hispanic students (1.4%) were significantly more likely than
black students (0.4%) to have tried cocaine before 13
years of age.
