Illinois Youth Tobacco Use Remains a Concern

In Illinois, nearly 30 percent of teens are using tobacco products, with 28 percent of high school students and 11 percent of middle school students reporting use of some form of tobacco. Although the percentage of high school students who smoke cigarettes is declining, the use of other tobacco products, such as oral tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, is on the rise, posing a long-term threat to recent cancer incidence declines. The American Cancer Society is urging Illinois youth to kick the habit and prevent cancer for the next generation.

Key Takeaways:

• 28 percent of Illinois high school students and 11 percent of middle school students report use of some form of tobacco.
• The use of oral tobacco products, snuff, and electronic cigarettes is growing, posing a long-term threat to recent cancer incidence declines.
• White and Hispanic teens are twice as likely to smoke compared to African-American youth.
• One in 10 Illinois middle school students use at least one form of tobacco product.
• Approximately 90 percent of people who smoke started in their teens.
• Three-fourths of daily youth smokers remain daily smokers five to six years later, making smoking cessation attempts largely unsuccessful.
• Smoking cessation attempts by youth are often unsuccessful due to the addictive habit.

Statistics:

• 18.1 percent of Illinois youth are smokers, slightly lower than the Illinois adult smoking rate of 18.6 percent.
• If the proposed $1 cigarette tax increase is passed, youth smoking will decline by 13 percent, preventing more than 110,000 youth from becoming addicted adult smokers.
• 30 percent of Illinois teens use tobacco products.
• 90 percent of smokers started smoking in their teens.
• 10 percent of Illinois middle school students use at least one form of tobacco product.
• Lung cancer death rate decreases by about half 10 years after quitting smoking.
• Smoking cessation attempts by youth are low, with most being unable to quit due to addiction.

Sources:

• American Cancer Society press release, November 17, 2010
• American Cancer Society website,
• American Cancer Society Research
• Smoke-Free Illinois Act
• The Great American Smokeout
• American Cancer Society, About the American Cancer Society