Almost 50 years after the landmark 1964 Surgeon General’s Report on tobacco, Dr. Regina Benjamin, U.S. Surgeon General, released a new report and called on the nation to make the next generation tobacco-free.
According to the report, “Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults,” too many youth and young adults are using tobacco. Today, more than 600,000 middle school students and 3 million high school students smoke cigarettes. In Indiana, an estimated 18 percent of high school students smoke.
Over the past decade, Indiana high school smoking rates have declined from 32 percent in 2000 to 18 percent in 2011. This decline in the teen smoking rate has resulted in 258,000 fewer smokers in the state. Nationally, the most recent data (2009) shows that 19.5 percent high school aged teens smoke.
“Indiana is fortunate enough to have a strong statewide tobacco control program that includes mass media campaigns, evidence-based school programs, and sustained community-wide efforts working to pass smoke-free laws and policies,” said Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Gregory Larkin. “Efforts are paying off to reduce youth smoking rates, but as this recent report reminds us, marketing strategies of tobacco companies continue to lure new young people to smoke and use other tobacco products.”
Each day more than 1,200 people die due to smoking. Every one of those deaths is replaced by two new smokers under the age of 25. Additionally, 90 percent of these replacement smokers smoke their first cigarette before they turn 18. In Indiana, there are more than 9,700 tobacco-related deaths every year.
The report finds that tobacco marketing is a key factor in causing young people to start using tobacco, and nicotine addiction keeps them using it. More than $307 million each year is spent on marketing tobacco products in Indiana. The more young people are exposed to cigarette advertising and promotional activities, the more likely they are to smoke.
“Our efforts must be focused on our young people,” said Larkin. “Statistics show that nine out of 10 smokers will become addicted by age 25. That’s a staggering statistic. Tobacco knows where to focus their spending. It’s up to all of us to educate our youth about the dangers of smoking and tobacco use.”
To learn more about tobacco control activities in Indiana, visit the Indiana State Department of Health’s website at www.StateHealth.in.gov or visit www.QuitNowIndiana.com to learn about resources for quitting tobacco.
