CDC 2013 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey finds record low smoking rates for high school students

[Bill Godshall]

CDC 2013 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey (YRBS) finds record low smoking rates for high school students:
- 15.7% (versus 18.1% in 2011) of high school students smoked a cigarette in past-30-days,
- 5.6% (versus 6.4% in 2011) smoked cigarettes on at least 20 of the past-30-days, and
- 4.0% (versus 4.8% in 2011) smoked cigarettes daily in past-30-days.

CDC YRBS 1991-2013 trend graph for past-30-use of cigarettes among high school students
http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/images/p0612-YRBS.pdf

CDC YRBS 1991-2013 trend tables for cigarette smoking and tobacco use among high school students
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs/pdf/trends/us_tobacco_trend_yrbs.pdf

Today's CDC press release, which unfortunately (but predictably) included: "Despite this progress, reducing overall tobacco use remains a significant challenge. For example, other national surveys show increases in hookah and e-cigarette use."
CDC Press Release: Cigarette smoking among U.S. high school students at lowest level in 22 years

CDC 2013 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey (YRBS)Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance — United States, 2013


These findings, along with CDC’s National Youth tobacco Survey (NYTS), NIDA’s Monitoring the Future (MTF) and SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) all refute CDC Director Tom Frieden’s false claims that e-cigs are gateways to smoking.
http://rodutobaccotruth.blogspot.com/2014/04/nejm-fails-to-correct-data-on-childrens.html
http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/12data/pr12cig_1.pdf
Results from the 2012 NSDUH: Summary of National Findings, SAMHSA, CBHSQ
Results from the 2012 NSDUH: Summary of National Findings, SAMHSA, CBHSQ

 

[Berylanna]

CDC 2013 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey (YRBS) finds record low smoking rates for high school students:
- 15.7% (versus 18.1% in 2011) of high school students smoked a cigarette in past-30-days,
- 5.6% (versus 6.4% in 2011) smoked cigarettes on at least 20 of the past-30-days, and
- 4.0% (versus 4.8% in 2011) smoked cigarettes daily in past-30-days.

CDC YRBS 1991-2013 trend graph for past-30-use of cigarettes among high school students
http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/images/p0612-YRBS.pdf
These findings, along with CDC’s National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), NIDA’s Monitoring the Future (MTF) and SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) all refute CDC Director Tom Frieden’s false claims that e-cigs are gateways to smoking.
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I'd like to see someone ask Dr. Friedan, at a press conference, if parents who avoid vaccinations present a public health risk, and if so, how important to world health is the CDC's reputation for integrity, and doesn't he think he's risking world health by lying his ... off about ecigs while he's head of the CDC.

 

[Bill Godshall]

CDC Director Tom Frieden exploited/abused yesterday's CDC survey announcement (finding record low teen smoking rates) to attack e-cigs, e-cig companies and e-cig advertisements, and to once again misrepresent CDC's other survey data (finding <1% of nonsmoking teens used an e-cig) to confuse, scare and lobby for FDA deeming regulation (that would ban >99% of e-cigs and give e-cig industry to Big Tobacco companies).

CDC Director Tom Frieden said the agency is particularly worried about e-cigarette ads on TV and elsewhere that could re-glamorize smoking. "No kids should be exposed to advertising that glorifies the use of nicotine," Dr. Frieden told reporters in a telephone briefing Thursday.

Frieden's criticism of e-cigs was cited in the following news stories (and probably more)
High-School Students Smoking Less, but Texting While Driving More - WSJ
CDC: Teen Smoking Rate Lowest in 22 Years - TIME
Less Smoking, Sex and Fighting Among U.S. High School Kids: CDC - US News
U.S. teenagers smoke less, but texting while driving a concern: CDC | Reuters


In contrast, the following news stories about CDC's survey (find record low smoking rates for teens) did not cite Frieden's criticism of e-cigs.
Study: Teens are drinking less, texting more - Nation - The Boston Globe
Teen Smoking, Sex Hit New Lows But Texting, Fat Are New Dangers - NBC News
'Teens choosing health': Smoking hits a landmark low

 

[Bill Godshall]

Berylanna wrote

I'd like to see someone ask Dr. Friedan, at a press conference, if parents who avoid vaccinations present a public health risk, and if so, how important to world health is the CDC's reputation for integrity, and doesn't he think he's risking world health by lying his ... off about ecigs while he's head of the CDC.

I'd like to see some Republican members of Congress (during a Congressional hearing) ask Frieden why he and others at CDC have been demonizing and lying about e-cigs since 2009, while all the scientific and empirical evidence shows that cigarette consumption and smoking declines since 2009 have been largely due to skyrocketing e-cig use by smokers.

I urged Sen Lamar Alexander to ask that question to CDC's Tim McAfee at Harkin's Senate HELP Cmte hearing a month ago.

 

[Bill Godshall]

In addition to citing record low teen smoking rates (and not mentioning e-cigs), NBC Today highlighted real public health/safety problems found by the CDC survey.
CDC: Fewer teens smoke, more text while driving - Video on TODAY.com


Some of the more worrisome (from a public health/safety perspective) findings of CDC's survey included:
41% reported texting while driving in past 30 days
18% reported carrying a knife, gun or club in past 30 days
5.5% reported carrying a gun in past 30 days
5.2% reported carrying a knife, gun or club on school property in past 30 days
6.9% reported being threatened or attacked with a knife, gun or club on school property in past year
25% reported fighting during past year
3.1% reported being injured in a fight (and being treated by a doctor or nurse) during past year
7.3% reported ever being forced to have sexual intercourse (including 10.5% of females)
20.8% reported drinking at least five alcohol drinks in a row during past 30 days
10% reported drinking and driving during past 30 days
22% reported riding in a car with a driver who had been drinking during past 30 days
17.8% reported ever using prescription drugs without a doctor's prescription
2.2% reported ever using ......
1.7% reported every injecting illegal drugs
3.2% reported ever using {OTHER STUFF}
Condom use during last sexual intercourse (among sexually active teens) declined from 63% to 59%
9.1% reported attempting suicide during past year
17% reported contemplating suicide during past year
7.6% reported never or rarely using a seat belt in past year

With all of these troubling survey findings, CDC Director exploited yesterday's press briefing to attack lifesaving e-cigs (despite CDC's other survey finding that <1% of nonsmoking teens had ever used an e-cig)

 

[Bill Godshall]

Per comments made by Ken Warner (who pointed out that <1% of nonsmoking teens had used an e-cig, and then criticized e-cigs) in
CDC: Teen Smoking Rate Lowest in 22 Years - TIME

please note that Ken Warner has criticized and campaigned against THR for the past 20 years (while acknowledging that smokeless tobacco and e-cigs are far less hazardous alternative to cigarettes). Warner urged the FDA to ban e-cigs in 2009, he tried to get Mike Siegel fired from Boston University after an e-cig survey Siegel conducted was published, and Warner was on e-cig prohibitionist Legacy's Board for the past decade. Mitch Zeller's presentation on e-cigs and the FDA deeming regulation several days ago was at Legacy's Ken Warner lecture series.

While Ken Warner is fully aware that e-cigs have helped many smokers quit, and he knows that virtually no nonsmokers use e-cigs, he's supporting the FDA deeming regs (that will ban >99% of e-cigs and give the e-cig industry to Big Tobacco).

Warner is in the same camp of hypocrites as Legacy's David Abrams (who admit e-cigs are far less hazardous than cigs, but who urged FDA to ban them in 2009, and are advocating FDA's deeming reg).

 

[DrMA]

The way I see it: in spite of the vicious ANTZ propaganda, lies, and demonizing, ecigs alone have caused the single largest drop in smoking by HS kids since 2007. Imagine where teen smoking rates would've been if "public health" agencies and professionals were actually trying to improve public health by telling the truth about and supporting ecig use as a substitute to smoking analogs.

 

[Berylanna]

Berylanna wrote

I'd like to see some Republican members of Congress (during a Congressional hearing) ask Frieden why he and others at CDC have been demonizing and lying about e-cigs since 2009, while all the scientific and empirical evidence shows that cigarette consumption and smoking declines since 2009 have been largely due to skyrocketing e-cig use by smokers.

I urged Sen Lamar Alexander to ask that question to CDC's Tim McAfee at Harkin's Senate HELP Cmte hearing a month ago.

We all would like that, but that doesn't resonate outside our circle. The credibility of the CDC is important to all people of the world who don't want to die in the next pandemic, or people local to the MERS or Ebola epidemics. And Ebola is "good copy" for reporters. I want to point out that "crying wolf" is (literally!) bloody dangerous for the CDC and WHO. Whatever else WHO is, they are not cowards, they are ON THE GROUND in the Ebola epidemic and I believe one of them caught it and died. It is disgusting and tragic to watch their fat-cat leaders trash their science, dedication, courage, and sacrifice by trashing truth on ANY subject, including ecigs.

 

[Bill Godshall]

ACSH trashed Tom Frieden's criticism of e-cigs during his press interview on the CDC YRBS (finding record low teen smoking rates, and lots of high risk behaviors)
CDC finally tells the truth about teen smoking: still declining, even with e-cigarettes | American Council on Science and Health (ACSH)

Berrylana wrote

I want to point out that "crying wolf" is (literally!) bloody dangerous for the CDC and WHO.

As a long time public health activist, I consider the statements and actions by CDC and WHO opposing THR, smokeless tobacco and e-cigs to be the worst case of public health malpractice in US and world history (as they've threatened the lives of hundreds of millions of smokers worldwide).

Had in not been for Big Pharma funding and lobbying, CDC and WHO would probably have been endorsing smokeless tobacco for THR for the past two decades, and would probably have been endorsing e-cigs for smokers for the past five years.

 

[Bill Godshall]

Abstinence-only extremists at Legacy misrepresent and cherry pick CDC YRBS data on cigars to lobby for FDA deeming regulation
High School Boys Now Smoke Cigarettes and Cigars at Similar Rates - American Legacy Foundation

Big Pharma funded prohibitionists at CTFK issue press release about CDC YRBS findings, with just one paragraph about the record low cigarette smoking rates, followed by 10 paragraphs demonizing cigars and smokeless tobacco and all other tobacco use, advocating the FDA deeming regulation, increasing taxes on all tobacco products, and increasing funding for ANTZ propaganda campaigns by state governments.
New Survey Shows U.S. Youth Smoking Rates Fell to Record Low in 2013 - Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids

 

[KODIAK (TM)]

Unfortunately, I see this differently. This will only serve to fuel the zealots' hate campaign against nicotine usage that looks like smoking. "See... what we're doing is working. Don't let up!!"

And once e-cigs are officially a tobacco product, we'll see those numbers spike because "suddenly", all the teen e-cig users will be counted and that 15.7% will set off alarm bells.

"See... we need to do more!!!"

I'm sure champaign corks are popping somewhere but here at Kodiak Central we are still swigging down cheap beer.

 

[FourWinds]

Unfortunately, I see this differently. This will only serve to fuel the zealots' hate campaign against nicotine usage that looks like smoking. "See... what we're doing is working. Don't let up!!"

And once e-cigs are officially a tobacco product, we'll see those numbers spike because "suddenly", all the teen e-cig users will be counted and that 15.7% will set off alarm bells.

"See... we need to do more!!!"

I'm sure champaign corks are popping somewhere but here at Kodiak Central we are still swigging down cheap beer.

Well I think it depends on who is doing the reading of the reported data. That it's illogical, bias, and corrupt to us is as obvious as if we were to read the statement: 'Road death is down, the use of seatbelts is up, and therefore seatbelts are bad.'

So I think that even a great many non-vaping, never-smoker reporters, members of the public, medical professionals, and even politicians are going to start to smell the coffee, or perhaps admit that there is such a thing as coffee.

Do we need to do more? Sure, more of the same: We need to keep pointing out that the suppression, over regulation, and demonisation of e-cigs is indeed the result of corruption on a genocidal scale, and we need to do that all the time to anyone who will listen.