The Delaware Parents Association’s Get Smart, Don’t Start program is made possible through the Delaware Division of Public Health’s Tobacco Prevention Community Contract. Funding for the Contract is provided by the Delaware Health Fund and managed by the American Lung Association in Delaware.
for more info contact
Contact Tami Wilson @302-678-9288
The “Get Smart, Don’t Start” program builds a foundation of prevention skills with children, adolescent youth in middle and high school and adults within the communities in Delaware. This program is geared towards the development of a strong awareness of the health risks and dangers attributed to tobacco use and to promote self-confidence; while building critical thinking, refusal and assertiveness skills. Additionally, this program will provide information on health risks and quitting.
Trends in Tobacco Use Among Youth
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Trend data for youth tobacco product use in the United States show the rates of use of these products and indicate the types of tobacco products that are becoming more popular among middle and high school students.
While tobacco product use among U.S. youth declined, continued efforts are needed to sustain this progress and to prevent and reduce all forms of their tobacco product use.
Youth use of tobacco products in any form is unsafe.
Youth and Tobacco Use
Preventing tobacco product use among youth is critical to reducing tobacco use among the nation’s youth:
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Tobacco product use is started and established primarily during adolescence.
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Nearly 9 out of 10 adults who smoke cigarettes daily first try smoking by age 18.
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Flavorings in tobacco products can make them more appealing to youth.
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In 2021, 80.2% of high school students and 74.6% of middle school students who used tobacco products in the past 30 days reported using a flavored tobacco product during that time.
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In 2023, 90.3% of high school students and 87.1% of middle school students who used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days reported using a flavored e-cigarette during that time.
Cigarettes
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In 2023, about 1 of every 100 middle school students (1.1%) reported that they had smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days.
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In 2023, nearly 2 of every 100 high school students (1.9%) reported that they had smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days.
Cigars
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In 2023, nearly 1 of every 100 middle school students (1.1%) reported that they had smoked cigars in the past 30 days.
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In 2023, nearly 2 of every 100 high school students (1.8%) reported that they had smoked cigars in the past 30 days.
Smokeless Tobacco
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In 2023, nearly 1 of every 100 middle school students (0.7%) reported that they had had used smokeless tobacco in the past 30 days.
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In 2023, nearly 2 of every 100 high school students (1.5%) reported that they had had used smokeless tobacco in the past 30 days.
All Tobacco Product Use
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In 2023, more than 6 of every 100 middle school students (6.6%) and about 1 of every 8 high school students (12.6%) reported current use of a tobacco product.
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In 2023, nearly 15 of every 100 middle school students (14.7%) and nearly 28 of every 100 high school students (27.9%) said they had ever tried a tobacco product.
Use of Tobacco products is often associated with generational circumstances, peer pressure, socioeconomics and demographic economics. Currently, approximately 17,000 youth die prematurely due to smoking. Further, other facets of concern are smokeless tobacco products such as: snus, gums, chewing tobacco, etc. and electronic cigarettes. E-cigarettes have become vastly popular due to false representation that they are safer and that their toxins are not harmful. E-cigarettes are attractive to youth due to their way of distribution (in the form of flash drives, lipstick Although it is truly gratifying that the statistics have begun to decline associated with cigarettes, we MUST continue to work towards the decline in smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes as well. The Surgeon General has stated that smokeless tobacco/e-cigarettes is not a safe substitute for smoking cigarettes. Each day more than 1,000 kids use smokeless tobacco for the first time. Unfortunately, declines in seeing anti-smoking messages and declines in substance abuse education in general being reported in Delaware may create opportunities for backsliding on the real progress made in Delaware in the last several years. Advertising has moved away from the anti-tobacco messages to more health promotion. It is important to continue to monitor exposure to education and media, and changes in tobacco attitudes and behaviors among Delaware youth in the future.
