Underage Drinking and Smoking Rates Continue to Decline
Underage drinking and smoking in the United States are still on the decline, according to the latest report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Just over 4% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 reported smoking in the past month, according to the survey results. By comparison, the figure was 27% among young adults aged 18 to 25 in 2015.
More significantly, these figures represent a substantial decline from 2002, when 13% of teenagers and 40% of young adults said they had smoked in the previous month.
Daily smoking among teenagers has also decreased since 2002, while only 20% of young adults smoked daily in 2002, compared with 31.8%.
Alcohol use among those aged 12 to 17 also declined, from 17.6% in 2002 to 9.6% in 2015.
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The data suggest that public health measures aimed at reducing substance use among minors are working, according to Kana Enomoto, principal deputy administrator at SAMHSA.
“While smoking among those under 18 has declined, use of other nicotine products, including electronic cigarettes, has surged dramatically. All of this is creating a new generation of Americans at risk of addiction,” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said several months ago.
The SAMHSA report also examined illicit drug use, misuse of psychotherapeutic medications, substance use disorders, and mental health issues, among other topics.
