Media Release

For: Immediate Release
Date: March 5, 2002
Contact: Elizabeth Harvey, MA, MS, 401-222-6054

Tobacco Use Declines Among RI High School Students

Providence, Rhode Island, March 5, 2002 -Today the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) released statewide youth survey results indicating a decline--from 35% in 1997 to 25% in 2001--in current cigarette smoking among public high school students. Current smokers include students who smoked cigarettes on at least one day during a given 30-day period. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the Youth Tobacco Survey both confirm a reduction among ninth through twelfth graders in Rhode Island. These surveys use a sample of students from randomly selected public schools and classrooms across the state during the spring of 2001.

Patricia A. Nolan, MD, MPH, Director of the Department of Health said, " This is good news! Young people are responding to the truth about tobacco and the public health message we’re sending. Comprehensive tobacco control programs work; we need to keep them going strong."

Students know about the dangerous effects of smoking on health. The survey indicates that 92% of all high school students and 91% of middle school students believe that people can get addicted to tobacco--just like cocaine or heroin. In addition, 89% think that young people risk harming themselves if they smoke from 1-5 cigarettes per day. Overall, 93% think that smoke from other people's cigarettes is harmful.

In addition to the decline in youth smoking rates, the survey data confirm that most young smokers want to stop. Among current smokers in high school, 58% overall desire to quit, including 65% of females and 53% of males. As for middle school smokers, 54% overall want to stop smoking, including 53% of females and 56% of males.

Elizabeth Harvey, Program Manager, Tobacco Control Program said, "It is our job to give RI children a fighting chance against the pervasive influence of big tobacco. The need for comprehensive tobacco prevention programs should continue to be a life and death priority for our state."