�Alabama high school students are acquiring the message that smoking isn't cool, according to the
results of the 2008 Youth Tobacco Survey conducted by the Alabama Department of Public
Health's Tobacco Prevention Branch.
There was a 17.5 percent decrement in high school students who weed in 2008 compared to
those wHO said they smoked in 2006, according to the survey. About 22.1 percent of high
school students aforesaid they smoke-dried in the 2008 appraise compared to nearly 27 percent wHO
reported they smoked in 2006.
The 2008 appraise was administered in 43 public high schools earlier this class. The results are
based on the sampling of 1,384 students wHO completed useable questionnaires.
More than half the students world Health Organization smoke tell they want to quit, according to the survey. Cigars were
the most prevalent tobacco plant product ill-used after cigarettes for high school students, with 15
percent reportage they smoke-dried them.
While the prevalence rate for state teens is dropping, nationally, youth tobacco rates have
stalled, according to the Office on Smoking and Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Cigarette use among high school students declined from 1997 to 2003, but rates
remained stable from 2003 to 2007. Nationally, just under 22 percent of students ages 14-18
skunk, according to CDC.
Alabama has made significant forward motion addressing jejune tobacco use, said Dr. Donald
Williamson, Alabama's province health military officer. "We fund community groups to cultivate people
more or less the dangers of secondhand smoke and to encourage youth to reject baccy use," Dr.
Williamson said. In the past class, the Youth Empowerment Program, a peer-teaching model,
reached more than 58,000 teens with tobacco prevention and used smoke messages,
he aforementioned.
In addition, Life Skills training course of study is provided to sixth graders in selected schools across
the state. This program has been proved to reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco, dose abuse
and violence by targeting major social and psychological factors that promote these behaviors,
he said.
Also, the department has launched a new stripling cessation externalize using telecasting and radio ads,
a MySpace page for teens and education for health care providers, Dr. Williamson said.
Teens who want to throw in tobacco toilet call the Alabama Tobacco Quitline, 1-800-Quit-Now, for
free counseling, aforesaid Dr. Williamson. The Quitline is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through
Friday. An incentive is offered to teens wHO complete counselling and successfully quit tobacco.
Alabama Department of Public Health
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