10 Among US middle school students, approximately 6.3% are current cigarette smokers, and estimated rates are slightly higher for girls (6.4%) than for boys (6.3%). Rates of current smokers are highest among non-Hispanic white high school students (23.2%), followed by Hispanic (16.7%) and non-Hispanic black (11.6%) students. Approximately 21.3% of male and 18.7% of female high school students in the United States are current cigarette smokers, defined as use in the previous 30 days. 10 Unfortunately, the prevalence of quitting (ie, the percentage of those who have ever smoked and who are now former smokers) is lower among younger age groups than among older adults. 10 The prevalence of current cigarette use is highest among 12th-grade students (26.5%), followed by 11th-grade (21.6%), 10th-grade (19.6%), and 9th-grade (14.3%) students. In comparison, 20% of high school students are current smokers. According to data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, an estimated 19.7% of all adults in the United States are current cigarette smokers. 9 The prevalence of tobacco use among teenagers and young adults is comparable to and slightly higher than prevalence rates among other adult populations. Every year in the United States, approximately 1.4 million children younger than 18 years start smoking, and many of them will die prematurely from a smoking-related disease. 7, 8 Children younger than 10 years have reported experimenting with tobacco. Tobacco addiction usually begins in childhood or adolescence.

Cigarette sims 4