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Compared with high school smokers two decades ago, today's teen smokers are more likely to smoke only occasionally, or smoke fewer cigarettes each day, according to a new study.
Researchers revealed that among high school smokers, the percentage of teens considered heavy smokers - having more than 11 cigarettes each day - dropped from 18% in 1991 to about 8% in 2009. At the same time, occasional smoking rose from 67% to 79%.
"I have noticed more teenagers seem be smoking just a few cigarettes per day," Dr John Frohna, a professor of paediatrics and internal medicine at University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in a news release from the Center for Advancing Health.
In the study, which is published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers analysed data from students in grades nine through 12 who participated in national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, which included about 11,000 to 16,410 public and private high school students. The surveys included questions about smoking habits.
The study found that of the 19.5% of today's high school students who call themselves "smokers," most don't smoke every day or very often.
Any form of smoking is dangerous
Although fewer teens are smoking heavily, even occasional smoking is cause for alarm, noted Frohna. "I do think there are fewer kids in my practise who are smoking heavily, but I remain concerned that they are smoking at all. We need to continue to reinforce the message that any smoking is unsafe. We also need to ensure strong enforcement of laws against selling cigarettes to children," he said.
"It is important to note that light and intermittent smoking still has significant health risks," the study's co-author, Terry Pechacek, associate director for science at the Office on Smoking and Health of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noted in the news release. "Even though smoking prevalence among youth and adults has slowed, we're closely watching to see whether light and intermittent smoking persists into adulthood despite tobacco control policies and changes in social norms that have previously led to sharper declines."
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about teens and smoking.
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