Youth Tobacco Stats - San Diego
Youth Smoking Prevalence:
The smoking rate for youth ages 16-17 is 19.2% (compared to 14.5% in 1990) according to the 1996 survey; and for young people ages 18-24 the smoking rate of 22% is even higher than the overall California rate of 20.6% for any age group.
Smoking rates among local Hispanic youth are of special concern as they nearly doubled between 1990 and 1996; and local Asian/Pacific Islander youth have the highest rate of smoking among all youth.
| Race/Ethnicity | 1990 | 1996 |
| Non-Hispanic White | 10.5% | 9.0% |
| Hispanic | 4.5% | 8.1% |
| African-American | N/A | 4.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | N/A | 11.0% |
Every year 10,000 San Diego youth begin smoking, one-third of who will die from a tobacco related illness.1
Cigarette smoking prevalence among adolescents 12 to 17 years of age increased 0.9% in San Diego County from 1990 to 1996.2
Smoking prevalence declined (-0.3%) in the 12 to 13-year age group, and never-smoked prevalence increased by 9.2%.2
Among youth 14-15 years of age, current cigarette smoking prevalence decreased by 0.4%, but never-smoked prevalence declined by 0.6%.2
Adolescents 16-17 years of age experienced an increase in current-cigarette smoking prevalence (4.7%) and an increase in never-smoked prevalence of 0.6% from 1990 to 1996.2
References:
- Tobacco Control Section. California and San Diego County Youth Smoking Prevalence (Ages 12-17). California Department of Health Services, October 1997. Sacramento, CA.
- American Lung Association. Adolescent Cigarette Smoking Prevalence in San Diego County. 1996.
- Coe, Douglas. A Report to the San Diego County Office of Education- "1995-96 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Grade Levels 7,9,11 - Executive Summary". Spring, 1996. p. 3-4.
- Tobacco Control Section. Youth Smoking Trends in California. California Department of Health Services, 1996. Sacramento, CA.
- Centers for Disease Control. Smoking Attributable Mortality and Years of Potential Life Lost - United States, 1988. MMWR 1991;40:62-3, 69-71.
- Pierce, et. al. Tobacco Use in California. California Department of Health Services, 1992. Sacramento, CA.
- Pierce JP, Evans N, Farkas AJ, Cavin SW, Berry C, Kramer M, Kealey S, Rosbrook B, Chai W, Kaplan RM. Tobacco Use In California, An Evaluation of the Tobacco Control Program, 1989-1993. La Jolla, CA: University of California, San Diego; 1994.
- Tobacco Control Section. California Youth Smoking Prevalence By Race/Ethnicity, 1990-1997. California Department of Health Services, May 1998. Sacramento, CA.
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