GEORGIA YOUTH TOBACCO SURVEY Summary Report 1999 A+ Acknowledgements Georgia Department of Human Resources Audrey W. Horne, Commissioner Division of Public Health Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., Director Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Branch James H. Brannon, M.S., M.Ed., Director Health Promotion Section Pam Eidson, M.Ed., Director Epidemiology and Health Information Branch Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., Acting Director Chronic Disease, Injury, Environmental, and Epidemiology Unit Ken Powell, M.D., M.P.H., Unit Director Division of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Substance Abuse Program and Policy Development Section Darlene Meador, Ph.D., Director Georgia Department of Education Federal Programs John L. Roddy, Director Partners and community volunteers Suggested Citation: Franklin, F. 1999 Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey Summary Report. Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health, Health Promotion Section, April 2000. Further information on this report may be obtain by contacting: Frank Franklin, M.P.H. Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Public Health Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Branch Health Promotion Section Tobacco Use Prevention Program 2 Peachtree Street, 16th Floor Atlanta, GA 30303-3142 Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey 1999 Summary Report Volume 1 No. 1 Introduction Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of mortality in the United States (1). Tobacco consumption is responsible for more than 400,000 deaths each year, or one in every five deaths (2). In addition to this health burden, the national economic burden of tobacco use is more than $50 billion in medical expenditures and another $50 billion in indirect costs (3). The risk for a smoking-attributable disease increases the earlier in life smoking begins (4). Tobacco remains popular among adolescents and young adults, the life stage(s) at which nearly all smoking starts(5), despite a substantial reduction in smoking prevalence in the last 30 years. The Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) is intended to enhance the capacity of organizations and community groups to design, implement, and evaluate tobacco use prevention and reduction programs. The GYTS includes: prevalence of cigarette, smokeless tobacco and cigar use; knowledge and attitudes; media and advertising; minors' access; school curriculum; environmental tobacco smoke (ETS); and cessation. The Georgia Division of Public Health's Tobacco Use Prevention Program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and various other states jointly developed the Youth Tobacco Survey instrument. Implementation of the 1999 Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey was a collaborative effort of the Georgia Division of Public Health, Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Division of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse, Regional Prevention Specialists, Georgia Public Health Districts, Georgia school districts, and volunteers from local community-based organizations. Public schools containing grades 6, 7, or 8 and grades 9-12 were included in the sampling frame. A multistaged sample design was used to produce a representative sample of students in both the middle and high school categories. The survey was administered from April-June 1999 to approximately 2,000 students attending middle and high schools throughout the state. Both middle and high school students completed the same 66-question survey instrument, which took one class period to complete (approximately 50 minutes). The response rates for public middle schools and students were 78% and 85%, respectively; response rates for public high schools and students were 48% and 91%, respectively; for an overall response rate of 66% for middle schools and 44% for high schools. 1 RESULTS Among the middle school students, approximately 1,300 students completed usable survey instruments. The dominant life stage for this population was pre-adolescent or <13 years of age (68%) and the remaining 32% were between the ages of 14-16. The proportions of males (49%) to females (51%) were relatively equivalent. The distribution of grades six, seven, and eight was approximately 30%, 25%, and 45%, respectively. The ethnic/racial distribution among this group was white (47%), black (39%), and Hispanic (6.0%) (figure 1). Among the high school student population, the frequency of the variables of age, gender, and race were distributed in a similar pattern. The results of the survey of high school students are not included in this report because the overall response rate of high school students (44%) is too low for statewide generalization. The low overall response rate for high school students stemmed from the low participation rate of high schools (48%). Participation by students in participating high schools was quite good (91%). Definition of Terms Lifetime cigarette smokers: Students who reported having ever smoked a cigarette(s), even one or two puffs. Current cigarette, smokeless tobacco, and cigar user: Students who reported product use on one or more of the 30 days preceding the survey. Frequent cigarette, smokeless tobacco, and cigar user: Students who reported product use on twenty or more of the 30 days preceding the survey. Daily cigarette, smokeless tobacco, and cigar user: Students who reported product use on one or more times each day of the 30 days preceding the survey. Lifetime tobacco use: Students who reported ever having used cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, or cigars. Any current tobacco use: Students who reported having used any tobacco product on one or more of the 30 days preceding the survey. White: Those students who identified themselves as "White non-Hispanic" Black: Those students who identified themselves as "African-American nonHispanic" Hispanic: Denotes persons of Hispanic ethnicity regardless of race. Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking In 1999, among middle school students, the prevalences of lifetime, current, and frequent cigarette use were 49%, 14%, and 4%, respectively. The prevalence of lifetime smoking was 51% among male students and 47% among female students; and higher for students in grade eight (59%) than students in grade six (36%). 2 Students in grade seven reported a prevalence of 51%. Among ethnic/racial groups, Hispanic students (63%) had a statistically higher prevalence of lifetime smoking compared to black students (46%). The prevalence for white students was 49% (figure 2). The prevalence of current cigarette smoking was 14% for males, females, and the overall population (figure 3). In the final category, 4% of Georgia middle school students reported being frequent smokers. The prevalence for male students was 4% and for females 3%. Prevalence of Smokeless Tobacco Use Among Georgia middle school students, the overall prevalence of lifetime smokeless tobacco use was 12%. The prevalence among males (18%) was higher than females (6%). The prevalences among students in grades six, seven, and eight were 9%, 12%, and 15%, respectively. The reported prevalence among white students (15%) was statistically higher compared to black students (6%). Hispanic students reported a prevalence of 21% (figure 4). The total current smokeless tobacco use prevalence was 4% for middle school students, with males reporting a 7% prevalence of current smokeless tobacco use and females reporting a prevalence of 2%. Prevalence of Cigar Smoking The overall lifetime prevalence of cigar use was 30%. The reported lifetime prevalence for male students (38%) was significantly higher than female students (21%). The prevalences among students in grade six, seven, and eight were 21%, 30%, and 39% respectively. Students in grade eight were significantly more likely to have experimented with cigar use compared to students in grade six. Statistically, Hispanic students (43%) had a higher prevalence of lifetime cigar use compared to that of white students (28%). Black students reported a prevalence of 30% (figure 5). The overall prevalence of current cigar smoking among Georgia middle school students was 8%. The prevalence of current cigar smoking was lower among female students (5%), than male students (11%). Prevalence of Any Tobacco Use The overall lifetime prevalence of any tobacco use was 55%. The reported lifetime prevalence by male students was 59% and 50% for female students. Students in grade six, seven, and eight reported prevalences of 43%, 57%, and 65%, respectively. Students in grade eight were significantly more likely to have used tobacco compared to those in grade six. Hispanic middle school students reported a prevalence of 68% for lifetime usage of tobacco and white students (54%) and black students (53%) reported similar prevalences (figure 6). The overall prevalence of current tobacco use among Georgia middle school students was 19%. Male students reported a prevalence of 21% and female students reported a prevalence of 16%. 3 DISCUSSION The descriptive analysis offered by the pilot 1999 GYTS provides a baseline view of the tobacco consumption behavior among Georgia's middle school adolescents. The current smoking prevalence among Georgia eighth grade students (21%) is comparable to a recent national survey of the same grade (17%) (6). Given that three quarters of adult smokers became daily smokers before age 20 (7), the fact that one out of every five Georgia eighth grade students is already a current smoker suggests that Georgia will continue to suffer a high prevalence of cigarette smoking and its attendant health burdens. Additionally, the lifetime (55%) and current (19%) prevalences of tobacco use among middle school students have potential implications for the future overall rates of tobacco use among Georgia's young adult and adult populations. These data from the GYTS indicate that greater efforts are needed to prevent the onset of tobacco use by Georgia youth. 4 Figure 1 Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey 1999 Distribution of Participants by Sex, Age, Grade, and Race/Ethnicity 70 68 60 49 51 50 40 Percent 30 20 45 47 39 32 30 25 10 6 0 Male Female Age 13 Age 14-16 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 White Black Hispanic Sex Age Grade Race/Ethnicity 5 Figure 2 Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey Prevalence of Lifetime* Cigarette Use Among Middle School Students *Lifetime Use: Students who reported having ever smoked a cigarette(s), even one or two puffs. 70 60 49 51 51 50 47 40 36 Percent 30 63 59 49 46 20 10 0 Total Male Female Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 White Black Hispanic Sex Grade Race/Ethnicity 6 Figure 3 Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey 1999 Prevalence of Current* Cigarette Use Among Middle School Students *Current Use: Students who reported product use on > 1 of the 30 days preceding the survey. 25 24 21 20 15 14 14 14 13 Percent 10 7 5 16 8 0 Total Male Female Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 White Black Hispanic Sex Grade Race/Ethnicity 7 Figure 4 Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey 1999 Prevalence of Lifetime* Smokeless Tobacco Use Among Middle School Students *Lifetime Use: Students who reported having ever used a smokeless tobacco product. 25 21 20 18 15 Percent 12 10 15 15 12 9 6 6 5 0 Total Male Female Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 White Black Hispanic Sex Grade Race/Ethnicity 8 Figure 5 Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey 1999 Prevalence of Lifetime* Cigar Use Among Middle School Students *Lifetime Use: Students who reported having ever smoked a cigar(s), even one or two puffs. 45 40 38 43 39 35 30 30 30 30 28 25 Percent 20 21 21 15 10 5 0 Total Male Female Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 White Black Hispanic Sex Grade Race/Ethnicity 9 Figure 6 Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey 1999 Prevalence of Lifetime* Tobacco Use Among Middle School Students *Lifetime Use: Students that reported having ever used cigarettes, cigars or smokeless tobacco. 70 68 65 60 59 55 57 50 50 43 54 53 40 Percent 30 20 10 0 Total Male Female Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 White Black Hispanic Sex Grade Race/Ethnicity 10 References 1. McGinnis JM, Foege WH. Actual causes of death in the United States. JAMA 1993; 270:2207 12. 2. CDC. Smoking-Attributable Mortality and Years of Potential Life Lost--United States, 1984. MMWR 1997;46:448-451. 3. CDC. Medical-care Expenditures Attributable to Cigarette Smoking--United States 1993. MMWR 1994;43:469-472. 4. CDC. Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking: 25 years of progress--A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, Maryland: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, CDC, 1989; DHHS publication no. (CDC) 89-8411. 5. CDC. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, CDC, 1994. 6. The Monitoring the Future Study, The University of Michigan, 1999. 7. CDC. Reasons for Tobacco Use and Symptoms of Nicotine Withdrawal Among Adolescent and Young Adult Tobacco Users--United States 1993. MMWR 1994;43:745-750. 11