Extent of Use

Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF)

Despite the demonstrated health risks associated with cigarette smoking, young Americans continue to smoke. However, 30-day*** smoking rates among high school students have declined from peaks reached in 1996 for 8th-graders (21.0 percent) and 10th-graders (30.4 percent) and in 1976 for 12th-graders (38.8 percent). In 2005, 30-day rates had dropped to 9.3 percent for 8th-graders, 14.9 percent for 10th-graders, and 23.2 percent for 12th-graders.

The decrease in smoking rates among young Americans corresponds to several years in which increased proportions of teens said they believe there is a "great" health risk associated with cigarette smoking and expressed disapproval of smoking one or more packs of cigarettes a day. Students' personal disapproval of smoking has risen for some years. In 2005, for example, the percentage of 12th-graders disapproving of smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day increased significantly, from 76.2 percent in 2004 to 79.8 percent in 2005.