Download NSDUH The Report

N ational S urvey on D rug U se and H ealth
The NSDUH Report
April 12, 2012
In Brief
●●
The percentages of adolescents aged
12 to 17 and young adults aged 18
to 25 reporting past month cigarette
use decreased from 2004 to 2010; the
percentages were similar in 2008 and
2009 but decreased between 2008 and
2010 (from 9.1 to 8.3 percent for those
aged 12 to 17 and from 35.7 to 34.2
percent for those aged 18 to 25)
●●
The percentage of adolescents who
smoked daily in the past month
decreased from 3.3 percent in 2004 to 2.0
percent in 2008, then remained relatively
stable; the percentage of young adults
who smoked daily decreased from 20.4
percent in 2004 to 17.2 percent in 2008,
then declined further between 2008 and
2010 to 15.8 percent
●●
Between 2004 and 2008, the percentage
of daily smokers aged 18 to 25 who
smoked 26 or more cigarettes per day
(about one and a half packs or more)
remained relatively stable at about 5
to 6 percent; from 2008 to 2010, this
percentage decreased from 6.0 to 3.4
percent
●●
About 25 percent of daily smokers aged
18 to 25 smoked 5 or fewer cigarettes per
day between 2004 and 2008; from 2008
to 2010, this percentage increased from
24.7 to 28.6 percent
Trends in Cigarette
Use among
Adolescents and
Young Adults
S
moking remains the Nation’s
leading cause of preventable illness
and death.1 Antismoking efforts
have been undertaken to address this
problem, and many of these efforts place
particular emphasis on adolescents and
young adults because most adult smokers
initiate cigarette use before the age of 25.2
Schools offer health education programs
targeting cigarette use, and antismoking
campaigns educate young people about the
dangers of smoking. States have increased
enforcement of the Synar Amendment,
which requires States to have and enforce
laws prohibiting the sale and distribution of
tobacco products to persons younger than
18.3 In addition, because higher prices
can make cigarette use cost prohibitive for
young people, the Federal government
and many States have recently enacted
substantial increases in cigarette taxes in an
effort to reduce the number of young
The NSDUH Report is published periodically by the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (formerly the Office of Applied Studies), Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without
permission from SAMHSA. Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality are available online:
http://www.samhsa.gov/data/. Citation of the source is appreciated. For questions about this report, please e-mail: [email protected].
NSDUH_047
NSDUH REPORT: Trends in Cigarette Use among Adolescents and Young Adults
people who smoke and to reduce consumption
among those who continue to smoke.4
Monitoring trends in cigarette use among
adolescents and young adults can help further
refine educational and enforcement efforts.
The National Survey on Drug Use and
Health (NSDUH) can be used to examine
trends in smoking behavior over time. NSDUH
asks persons aged 12 or older if they smoked
part or all of a cigarette in the past 30 days.
Respondents who answered affirmatively were
asked about the number of days they smoked
during the past month and the number of
cigarettes they smoked per day.5 This issue of
The NSDUH Report examines trends since
2004, with a particular focus on recent trends
from 2008 to 2010, in cigarette use among
adolescents aged 12 to 17 and among young
adults aged 18 to 25. These trends include use
in the past month, daily use in the past month,
April 12, 2012
and number of cigarettes smoked per day
among daily smokers.
Trends in Cigarette Use among
Adolescents Aged 12 to 17
During the 7-year period between 2004 and
2010, the percentage of adolescents aged 12 to
17 reporting past month cigarette use decreased
from 11.9 to 8.3 percent (Figure 1). Recent
trends show that past month cigarette use was
similar in 2008 (9.1 percent) and 2009 (8.9
percent), but decreased between 2008 and 2010
(from 9.1 to 8.3 percent).
Past month smokers can be divided into
two groups—those who smoke daily and those
who smoke less than daily. The percentage of
adolescents who smoked daily in the past month
decreased from 3.3 percent in 2004 to 2.0
percent in 2008, then remained relatively stable.
Figure 1. Past Month Cigarette Use among Persons Aged 12 to 17: 2004 to 2010
14
12
11.9
10.8
10.4
9.8
10
9.1
Percent
8.6
8.0
8
8.9
8.3
7.6
7.2
7.1
6.8
6.5
6
4
Less than
Daily Use
Daily Use
3.3
2.8
2.8
2.6
2
2.0
2.1
1.9
2008
2009
2010
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
Source: 2004 to 2010 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs).
Page 2
Past Month
Use
April 12, 2012
NSDUH REPORT: Trends in Cigarette Use among Adolescents and Young Adults
Trends in Cigarette Use among Young
Adults Aged 18 to 25
Trends in Number of Cigarettes
Smoked among Daily Smokers
Between 2004 and 2010, the percentage of
young adults aged 18 to 25 reporting past
month cigarette use decreased from 39.5 to 34.2
percent (Figure 2). Recent trends show overall
past month cigarette use was similar in 2008
(35.7 percent) and 2009 (35.8 percent), but
decreased between 2008 and 2010 (from 35.7 to
34.2 percent).
The percentage of young adults who smoked
daily in the past month decreased from 20.4
percent in 2004 to 17.2 percent in 2008, then
declined further to 15.8 percent in 2010.
The number of cigarettes smoked per day
among adolescent daily smokers remained
relatively stable over time (Figure 3); however,
changes were seen among 18- to 25-yearolds (Figure 4). Between 2004 and 2008, the
percentage of daily smokers in this age group
who smoked 26 or more cigarettes per day
(about one and a half packs or more) remained
relatively stable at about 5 to 6 percent.
However, this percentage decreased to 4.0
percent in 2009 and 3.4 percent in 2010.
On the other end of the spectrum, about 25
percent of daily smokers aged 18 to 25 smoked
5 or fewer cigarettes per day between 2004
and 2008; from 2008 to 2010, this percentage
increased from 24.7 to 28.6 percent.
Figure 2. Past Month Cigarette Use among Persons Aged 18 to 25: 2004 to 2010
50
40
39.5
39.0
38.4
36.2
35.7
35.8
34.2
Past Month
Use
Percent
30
20.4
20
19.1
19.5
19.7
19.4
18.7
18.3
18.5
17.8
17.2
2007
2008
19.5
Less than
Daily Use
18.5
16.3
15.8
2009
2010
Daily Use
10
0
2004
2005
2006
Source: 2004 to 2010 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs).
Page 3
April 12, 2012
NSDUH REPORT: Trends in Cigarette Use among Adolescents and Young Adults
Figure 3. Number of Cigarettes Smoked per Day among Daily Smokers Aged 12 to 17: 2004 to 2010
50
43.2
43.5
44.4
46.1
43.2
42.9
41.9
40
37.3
36.3
37.4
37.8
40.2
39.5
36.0
30
Percent
5 or Less
6 to 15
16 to 25
26 or More
20
15.9
15.6
15.5
14.6
15.2
14.5
3.9
3.2
3.4
2007
2008
2009
14.2
10
3.5
4.5
2.2
2.4
0
2004
2005
2006
2010
Source: 2004 to 2010 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs).
Figure 4. Number of Cigarettes Smoked per Day among Daily Smokers Aged 18 to 25: 2004 to 2010
50
40.6
40.6
41.4
41.5
28.5
27.9
43.1
42.9
43.5
40
31.8
Percent
30
28.9
24.4
22.4
20
10
6.0
5.1
24.1
6.0
25.3
5.1
26.1
24.7
6.0
27.3
28.6
6 to 15
25.7
24.3
4.0
3.4
2009
2010
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
Source: 2004 to 2010 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs).
Page 4
2008
5 or Less
16 to 25
26 or More
April 12, 2012
NSDUH REPORT: Trends in Cigarette Use among Adolescents and Young Adults
Discussion
Reducing cigarette smoking is a major public
health goal, and the findings in this report
suggest that efforts to reduce cigarette use
among adolescents and young adults are
effective. The percentage of adolescents and
young adults smoking cigarettes generally
showed decreases over the 7-year period
between 2004 and 2010, including decreases
in more recent years between 2008 and 2010.
There were also reductions in the percentage of
young adults who reported smoking daily and
in the numbers of cigarettes smoked by young
adult daily users.
Despite prevention efforts, laws prohibiting
the sale of cigarettes to persons younger than
18, and tax increases, this report shows that
in 2010, 1 in 12 adolescents and 1 in 3 young
adults smoked in the past month. Given the
lifetime health and economic burden from
cigarette use, these findings illustrate the need
for ongoing efforts to reduce cigarette use and
to monitor changes in use over time.
End Notes
1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Tobacco use: Targeting
the Nation’s leading killer. At a glance 2011. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.
gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/osh.htm#aag
2
Liang, L., Chaloupka, F., Nichter, M., & Clayton, R. (2003). Prices, policies
and youth smoking. Addiction, 98(Suppl. 1), 105-122.
3
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2011, January
14). Synar program factsheet. Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.gov/
prevention/synarFactsheet.aspx
4
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). State cigarette excise
taxes—United States, 2009. MMWR, 59(13), 385-388.
5
Current cigarette smokers were asked to report the total number of days (i.e.,
1 to 30 days) in the past month that they smoked part or all of a cigarette.
If respondents did not know or refused to answer the question, they were
asked for their best estimate of the number of days they smoked.
Suggested Citation
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for
Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (April 12, 2012). The NSDUH
Report: Trends in Cigarette Use among Adolescents and Young Adults.
Rockville, MD.
Page 5
For change of address, corrections, or to be removed from
this list, please e-mail: [email protected]
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality
1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 7-1044
Rockville, MD 20857
For change of address, corrections, or to be removed from this
list, please e-mail: [email protected].
Presorted
First Class
U.S. Postage
Paid
Capitol Heights, MD
Permit #4416
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Findings from SAMHSA’s 2004 to 2010 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs)
Trends in Cigarette Use among Adolescents
and Young Adults
●●
The percentages of adolescents aged 12 to 17 and young adults
aged 18 to 25 reporting past month cigarette use decreased from
2004 to 2010; the percentages were similar in 2008 and 2009 but
decreased between 2008 and 2010 (from 9.1 to 8.3 percent for
those aged 12 to 17 and from 35.7 to 34.2 percent for those aged
18 to 25)
●●
The percentage of adolescents who smoked daily in the past
month decreased from 3.3 percent in 2004 to 2.0 percent in 2008,
then remained relatively stable; the percentage of young adults
who smoked daily decreased from 20.4 percent in 2004 to 17.2
percent in 2008, then declined further between 2008 and 2010 to
15.8 percent
●●
Between 2004 and 2008, the percentage of daily smokers aged
18 to 25 who smoked 26 or more cigarettes per day (about one
and a half packs or more) remained relatively stable at about 5 to
6 percent; from 2008 to 2010, this percentage decreased from 6.0
to 3.4 percent
●●
About 25 percent of daily smokers aged 18 to 25 smoked 5 or
fewer cigarettes per day between 2004 and 2008; from 2008 to
2010, this percentage increased from 24.7 to 28.6 percent
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is an
annual survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The combined
2004 to 2010 data used in this report are based on information
obtained from 157,524 persons aged 12 to 17 and 158,794
persons aged 18 to 25. The survey collects data by administering
questionnaires to a representative sample of the population
through face-to-face interviews at their place of residence.
The NSDUH Report is prepared by the Center for Behavioral
Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ), SAMHSA, and by RTI
International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. (RTI
International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.)
Information on the most recent NSDUH is available in the
following publication:
Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2011).
Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:
Summary of national findings (NSDUH Series H-41, HHS
Publication No. SMA 11-4658). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration.
Also available online: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality
www.samhsa.gov