Why Is This Important?

Tobacco use is usually initiated during adolescence. Nearly 90% of adult smokers begin smoking before 18 years of age. ¹ Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death, leads to disease and disability, and harms nearly every organ of the body.²

Definition

Percentage of high school (9th-12th grade) students who have used cigarettes on one or more days in the 30 days preceding the survey

Data Sources

• Youth Tobacco Survey, Office of Tobacco Control, New Jersey Department of Health
  (http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/tobacco/)
• National Youth Tobacco Survey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  (https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about-data/surveys/national-youth-tobacco-survey.html)

How the Measure is Calculated

How Are We Doing?

Cigarette use among New Jersey high school students has steadily declined since the late 1990s and in 2016 stood at about 5 percent. The original Healthy New Jersey 2020 targets were met by all groups by 2012, so revised targets were set. The revised targets were all met by 2016.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The proportion of New Jersey high school students who are current cigarette smokers is below that of the nation as a whole.

What Is Being Done?

The Office of Tobacco Control is spearheading work on statewide comprehensive tobacco free policies in schools. New Jersey Quit Services are accessible online and by phone.

In July, 2017, a bill raising the minimum age for purchase and sale of tobacco products and electronic smoking devices from 19 to 21 was signed into law. https://nj.gov/health/fhs/tobacco/regulations/

Available Services

NJ Quitline: 1-866-NJ-STOPS

More Resources

CDC's Smoking & Tobacco Use Info: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/index.html

Health Program Information

NJDOH Office of Tobacco Control: https://nj.gov/health/fhs/tobacco/

Footnote References

1. Youth and Tobacco Use

2. About Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking