DPH: Youth

Youth

In 2002, approximately 62,500 middle and high school students in Connecticut reported
using tobacco. Tobacco use is associated with significant health problems during
childhood and adolescence and with increased risk factors for health problems in adulthood. Young smokers are significantly more likely than their non-smoking peers to experience shortness of breath, coughing spells, phlegm production, wheezing, and overall diminished physical health.

In 2002, 47,500 middle and high school students in Connecticut currently smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoking during adolescence appears to reduce the rate of lung growth
and the level of maximum lung function that can be achieved during this significant period of physical development. Smoking is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and adolescent tobacco users are likely to show signs of cardiovascular disease as early as young adulthood.*

*Excerpts taken from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 1994

For more Connecticut-specific information and data on youth smoking, please refer to the following Connecticut Youth Tobacco Survey Reports:

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Connecticut School Health Survey Report 2007 (28.2 MB pdf)

Connecticut School Health Survey Report 2005 (2.44 MB pdf)

Connecticut Youth Tobacco Survey Report 2002 (1.53 MB pdf)

Connecticut Youth Tobacco Survey Report 2000 (286 KB pdf)

More Information about Youth

A Quick Look at Smoking in Connecticut (2008 59.6 KB pdf)

Youth Smoking in Connecticut (2002 56.7 KB pdf)

Report on Tobacco Usage Behaviors and Attitudes in Connecticut (2005 3.47 MB pdf)

Cigarette Smoking Among Connecticut Youth (2007 71 KB pdf)

Cigarette Smoking Among US and CT Youth (2007 69.5 KB pdf)

Students in Connecticut who have Ever Smoked Cigarettes (2007 70.6 KB pdf)

Frequent Cigarette Smoking Among Connecticut High School Students (2007 67.5 KB pdf)