Smoking among US teens lowest in 13 years, but asthma rates up
There has been a sharp decline in smoking among teenage students in grades 9-12. Health officials say this is probably due to two factors:
1. Cigarettes have gone up in price.
2. There have been many anti-smoking public messages aimed at teenagers.
22% of American teenagers said they smoked or had had a cigarette during the last 30 days. In 2001 the figure stood at 28.5%. In 1997 it was a staggering 36.4%.
The term 'Teenagers' here refers to children aged 14-18.
Only 9.7% are now classed as regular smokers - those who had 20 or more cigarettes during the last 30 days (2001 figure was 13.8%). The total number of teenagers who said they had experienced smoking a cigarette at some time in their lives fell by 5.5%.
In the USA, 22% of the adult population smokes. This is below world average figures.
Many health experts are still baffled why asthma, which is made worse by smoking and passive smoking, is more prevalent in the USA than in countries such as France and Spain where smoking rates are much higher. Why is it that while smoking rates have fallen over the last 30 years in the USA, asthma rates have risen?
Fumatul SUA douãzeci de ani, printre cele mai mici în 13 de ani, dar de astm rate de pânã - Smoking among US teens lowest in 13 years, but asthma rates up - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate