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Complete Health Indicator Report of Cigarette Use among High School Students

Definition

Percentage of high school (9th-12th grade) students who have used cigarettes on one or more days in the 30 days preceding the survey

Numerator

Number of high school student survey respondents who have used cigarettes on one or more days in the 30 days preceding the survey

Denominator

Total number of high school student survey respondents

Why Is This Important?

Tobacco use is usually initiated during adolescence. Nearly 90% of adult smokers begin smoking before 18 years of age. [http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/tobacco_use/index.htm ^1^] Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death, leads to disease and disability, and harms nearly every organ of the body.[https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/index.htm ^2^]

Healthy People Objective: Reduce tobacco use by adolescents in grades 9 through 12: Cigarettes (past month)

U.S. Target: 16.0 percent
State Target: 7.4 percent

Other Objectives

'''Revised Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective TU-1b''': Reduce the proportion of high school students (grades 9 to 12) who are current smokers (any use in past 30 days) to 7.4% among the total population, 9.0% among Whites, 3.6% among Blacks, and 7.7% among Hispanics. '''Original Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective TU-1b''': Reduce the proportion of high school students (grades 9 to 12) who are current smokers (any use in past 30 days) to 12.8% among the total population, 13.8% among Whites, 9.9% among Blacks, and 13.1% among Hispanics.

How Are We Doing?

Cigarette use among New Jersey high school students has steadily declined since the late 1990s and in 2018 stood at about 3 percent. The original Healthy New Jersey 2020 targets were met by all groups by 2012, so revised targets were set. The revised targets were all met by 2016.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The proportion of New Jersey high school students who are current cigarette smokers is below that of the nation as a whole.

What Is Being Done?

The Office of Tobacco Control is spearheading work on statewide comprehensive tobacco free policies in schools. New Jersey Quit Services are accessible online and by phone. In July, 2017, a bill raising the minimum age for purchase and sale of tobacco products and electronic smoking devices from 19 to 21 was signed into law. [https://nj.gov/health/fhs/tobacco/regulations/]

Available Services

[http://www.njquitline.org/ NJ Quitline]: 1-866-NJ-STOPS

Health Program Information

NJDOH Office of Tobacco Control: [https://nj.gov/health/fhs/tobacco/]


Related Indicators

Related Risk Factors Indicators:


Related Health Status Outcomes Indicators:



Data Tables


Percentage of High School Students Who Have Used Cigarettes in the Past 30 Days, by Year, New Jersey and the United States, 1998-2019 (HNJ2020)

US/NJYearPercentage of High School Students
Record Count: 43
US1998**
US199934.8%
US2000**
US200128.5%
US2002**
US200321.9%
US2004**
US200523.0%
US2006**
US200720.0%
US2008**
US200919.5%
US2010**
US201118.1%
US2012**
US201315.7%
US2014**
US201510.8%
US2016**
US20178.8%
US2018**
US20196.0%
NJ199836.6%
NJ199927.6%
NJ2000**
NJ200124.5%
NJ2002**
NJ2003**
NJ200417.3%
NJ2005**
NJ200615.8%
NJ2007**
NJ200814.3%
NJ2009**
NJ201014.3%
NJ2011**
NJ20129.3%
NJ2013**
NJ20148.2%
NJ2015**
NJ20164.7%
NJ2017**
NJ20182.9%

Data Notes

This is Healthy New Jersey 2020 (HNJ2020) Objective TU-1b. Due to the COVID pandemic, the survey was not conducted in 2020.   **The surveys are not conducted annually.

Data Sources

  • [https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System], National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
  • Youth Tobacco Survey, Office of Tobacco Control, New Jersey Department of Health, [http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/tobacco/]


Percentage of High School Students Who Have Used Cigarettes in the Past 30 Days, by Race/Ethnicity, New Jersey, 2004-2018 (HNJ2020)

Race/EthnicityYearPercentage of High School Students
Record Count: 24
White200420.6%
White200618.4%
White200816.5%
White201015.4%
White20129.8%
White201410.0%
White20165.3%
White20182.4%
Black20047.7%
Black200611.5%
Black20087.7%
Black201011.1%
Black20125.2%
Black20144.0%
Black20162.4%
Black20182.6%
Hispanic200416.0%
Hispanic200613.4%
Hispanic200815.0%
Hispanic201014.6%
Hispanic201212.5%
Hispanic20148.5%
Hispanic20165.3%
Hispanic20184.6%

Data Notes

This is Healthy New Jersey 2020 (HNJ2020) Objective TU-1b. Due to the COVID pandemic, the survey was not conducted in 2020.   The survey is only conducted in even-numbered years. Data for Whites and Blacks do not include Hispanics. Hispanic ethnicity includes all races.

Data Source

Youth Tobacco Survey, Office of Tobacco Control, New Jersey Department of Health, [http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/tobacco/]


Percentage of High School Students Who Have Used Cigarettes in the Past 30 Days by Race/Ethnicity, New Jersey, 2018

Race/EthnicityPercent of High School Students
Record Count: 6
White2.4%
Black2.6%
Hispanic4.6%
Asian**
New Jersey2.9%
United States8.1%

Data Notes

This is Healthy New Jersey 2020 (HNJ2020) Objective TU-1b. Due to the COVID pandemic, the survey was not conducted in 2020.   ** Data not statistically reliable.

Data Sources

  • [https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/surveys/nyts/index.htm National Youth Tobacco Survey], Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
  • Youth Tobacco Survey, Office of Tobacco Control, New Jersey Department of Health, [http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/tobacco/]

References and Community Resources

1. [http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/tobacco_use/index.htm Youth and Tobacco Use] 2. [https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/index.htm Smoking & Tobacco Use Fast Facts] CDC's Smoking & Tobacco Use Info: [http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/index.htm]

Page Content Updated On 11/05/2020, Published on 10/26/2022
Office of Tobacco Control, New Jersey Department of Health, Trenton, NJ, 08625, Phone: 609-984-3317, Web: http://www.state.nj.us/health/ctcp/index.shtml
The information provided above is from the Department of Health's NJSHAD web site (https://nj.gov/health/shad). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Wed, 24 April 2024 9:07:37 from Department of Health, New Jersey State Health Assessment Data Web site: https://nj.gov/health/shad ".

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