Based on the results of the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey:1
- One of two (50% of all students surveyed) Middle School students and three of four (75% of all students surveyed) High School students have already tried using tobacco.
- One in four (23.3%) middle school students are current smokers.
- One in three (31.6%) high school students are current smokers.
- The percentage of middle school students who are current smokers is increasing:
| 1997 |
17.6% |
| 2001 |
19.3% |
| 2003 |
23.3% |
- One in twelve (14.7%) middle school students smoked a whole cigarette before the age of 11
- 81.5% of high school students who are current smokers tried to quit smoking in the past 12 months; majority failed to quit. This indicates that already, these young people are addicted to tobacco.
| The Youth Tobacco Survey 2002 highlights the determinants
of smoking among Guam’s youth: |
- Living with a smoker
- Having friends who smoke
- Low self-esteem
- Being receptive to advertising
|
1 2003 Youth Risk Behavior
Survey; Department of Education and Department of Public
Health and Social Services
| What works best to reduce smoking among youth? |
| 1. |
Raising tobacco prices through higher taxes |
| 2. |
Making all public places smoke-free |
| 3. |
Having smoke-free role models, especially parents and teachers |
| 4. |
Controlling tobacco advertising |
| 5. |
Reducing the social acceptability of tobacco use |
|
