Youth smoking in Wisconsin hits all-time low

State health officials today reported a 26 percent drop in high school smoking and a 36 percent drop in middle school smoking since 2010, according to the 2012 Wisconsin Youth Tobacco Survey. The survey is conducted by a partnership between the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

“The good news is that we are having ongoing success in reducing the numbers of young people who smoke,” said Dr. Henry Anderson, state health officer. “Tobacco is the No. 1 cause of preventable disease in Wisconsin, so we must continue reaching out to our children to help them avoid a lifetime of addiction and disease, and the possibility of premature death.”

High school smoking dropped from 17.7 percent in 2010 to 13.1 percent in 2012. Middle school smoking dropped from 3.9 percent to 2.5 percent during the same time frame. The study, conducted in the spring of 2012 in Wisconsin, included 40 high schools and 42 middle schools.

The numbers reflect a significant decrease since 2000, when 32.9 percent of high school students and 12.2 percent of middle school students were regular smokers.

According to the 2010 Burden of Tobacco in Wisconsin report, nearly 7,000 state residents die annually from illnesses directly related to smoking. The report also found that tobacco costs the state $4.5 billion annually in health care costs and lost productivity.

Tags: lifestyle, health, wisconsin