Thursday, May 16, 2013

New Data On Smokeless Tobacoo Use Among Youth


 Past years are characterized with lowering of rate of smokeless tobacco use among teenagers and new research shows that it leveled off.

In 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Patrol and Prevention made a survey among students to find out about their smoking habits. It was reported that 5.2% of students said they were using chewing tobacco, snuff and dipping tobacco at least one time in the 30 days before they were interviewed. This is the same percentage as it was in 2000 when there were 5.3% young people who used smokeless tobacco.

The percentage decrease shows that smokeless products lose their popularity among kids. It has dropped 4.6% per year among 9- to 11-year-olds kids. As to teenagers from 12 to 14 years old, the percentage also has dropped by 3.4% per year.

However, among 15- to 17-year-old teenagers the situation is different. The numbers show that use of smokeless tobacco has risen by 1% per year.  Among high students the situation is the same.

Students aged 18 or older showed no changes in usage of smokeless tobacco. .
Specialists from Center for Global Tobacco Control at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston say that such new products as moist snuff helped whole tobacco industry to attract people who give their prefernce to smokeless tobacc products. Besides this, tobacco companies are allowed to use flavored products or free samples to attract new customers. Researchers say that low price on smokeless products also played a significant role.

What helped to reduce sales of smokeless tobacco products among younger students? Here helped restrictions on online sales of smokeless tobacco and obligatory age verification of those who buy it. However, this works only in several states.


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