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Tobacco Addiction: the #1 addiction among Guam's youth.

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:

    • Year Percentage of middle school students who are current smokers
    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:
  1. Living with a smoker
  2. Having friends who smoke
  3. Low self-esteem
  4. 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

 
   
Funding of this website was made possible by the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (#5 U79 SP11183-03) from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written materials or publications do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commerial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

 

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