Three out of four teenage smokers end up smoking into adulthood.1

Youth are more sensitive to nicotine and can become dependent sooner than adults.1 Nicotine addiction causes about three out of four teenage smokers to end up smoking into adulthood, even if they intend to quit after a few years.1 The indicator for adolescent tobacco use measures the proportion of adolescents who smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days prior to the survey.

Smoking impacts many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and asthma.1

We have met the target for this indicator. However, this dramatic drop might be driven by the popularity of emerging tobacco products, such as electronic cigarettes, among youth in recent years. In 2015-2016, 8.6% of high school students in California have used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days and 13.5% of high school students have used any type of tobacco products (cigarettes, little cigars or cigarillos, kreteks, big cigars, hookah, smokeless tobacco, electronic cigarettes) in the past 30 days.

Indicator Progress

In 2009-2010 (baseline year), 13.8% of adolescents smoked cigarettes in the 30 days prior to the survey. The most recent data available show 4.3% (2015). We surpassed the goal of 10.0% or lower by 2022.

More Data about Adolescent Tobacco Use

Baseline

13.8%

Current Rate

4.3%

Target

10.0%

Data Snapshot: Disparities & Trends

Proportion of Adolescents Who Smoked Cigarettes in the Past 30 Days (Out of Those Who Have Ever Smoked), Over Time

Proportion of Adolescents Who Smoked Cigarettes in the Past 30 Days (Out of Those Who Have Ever Smoked), by Demographic Category

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Indicator: Proportion of adolescents who smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days

Indicator Description
The California Tobacco Control Program (CTCP) coordinates statewide tobacco control efforts and funds the California Student Tobacco Survey (CSTS). Current cigarette smoking was defined as having smoked on one or more days during the past 30 days prior to the survey. A biennial survey, the CSTS is a large-scale, in-school student survey administered to middle (grade 8) and high school (grades 10 and 12) students. Topics of the survey include awareness of and use of different tobacco products; history and patterns of tobacco use; tobacco purchasing patterns; knowledge and participation in school tobacco prevention or cessation programs; perceptions of tobacco use (i.e. social norms); awareness of advertising; and susceptibility to future tobacco use.

Data Limitations
This indicator only includes high school students (10th and 12th graders). Due to contract issue, CTCP did not conduct the survey for 2013/2014.

Indicator Source
California Tobacco Control Program

Indicator URL Link
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/tobacco/Pages/default.aspx

Reporting Cycle: Biennially

Reporting Lag: One to two years

1. California Department of Public Health, California Tobacco Control Program. State Health Officer’s Report on Tobacco Use and Promotion in California: Sacramento, CA, 2012: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Documents/EMBARGOED%20State%20Health%20Officers%20Report%20on%20Tobacco.pdf

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