Teen smoking rate stays put and use of smokeless tobacco on the rise

By Staff Writer

A trend of declining smoking rates among teenagers has slowed and the use of smokeless tobacco has increased, according to the Monitoring the Future Survey.

The survey, which was released by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, questioned eighth, 10th and 12th graders across the U.S. about their tobacco use. While smoking rates have significantly decreased since 1996, the 2010 survey revealed a small, although not statistically significant, increase in smoking among eighth- and 10th-graders.

The most alarming trend, however, was the sharp increase in the use of smokeless nicotine products, such as chewing tobacco. Approximately 8.5 percent of 12th-graders said they had used smokeless tobacco within 30 days of taking the survey, which is a 39 percent increase from 2006.

The top two U.S. cigarette manufacturers, Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds, have entered the smokeless tobacco market by offering a product called snus, which is dissolvable tobacco that looks like gum and candy. Some companies portray the smokeless substances as a less hazardous alternative to cigarettes, but studies have shown that snus and chewing tobacco can cause oral cancer, cardiovascular disease, gum disease and tooth decay.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, children who use tobacco products are more likely than non-users to experience various behavioral problems by grade 12.