Have you ever wondered how many of today's youth actually smoke? A nationally representative sample of 13,627 public and private high school students from all 50 States and the District of Columbia has provided us with some answers. These students completed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS), which included questions related to tobacco use. Below are just a few of the survey's findings:

Another excellent source of tobacco use data is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). Some 2001 survey results are listed below.

If your child smokes or chews tobacco, help him quit. Your doctor can make suggestions and talk to the both of you about any medications that might be appropriate for your child. See the Additional Resources below for more information about helping your child quit.

If you would like to learn more about YRBSS and NHSDA, including the uses and limitations of the data and differences among subgroups, please visit the Web sites listed below.

Grunbaum, J.A., L. Kann, S.A. Kinchen, B. Williams, J.G. Ross, R. Lowry, and L. Kolbe. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2001. MMWR Surveillance Summaries. June 28, 2002/51(SS04): 1-64, last referenced 12/10/2002.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies: 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, Alcohol Use Data, released September 2002.

• I QUIT!: What To Do When You're Sick of Smoking, Chewing, or Dipping. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tobacco Information and Prevention Sources (TIPS).
• You Can Quit Smoking: Consumer Guide [pdf]