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YOUTH SMOKING HITS ALL-TIME LOW IN WISCONSIN

MADISON—State health officials today reported a 26% drop in high school smoking and a 36% drop in middle school smoking since 2010, according to the 2012 Wisconsin Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS). 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 number one 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% in 2010 to 13.1% in 2012 and middle school smoking dropped from 3.9% to 2.5% 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% of high school students and 12.2% 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.

To view the YTS fact sheets, visit: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/tobacco/.

For more information on Wisconsin’s FACT youth tobacco prevention program, visit: www.fightwithFACT.com.

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Last Revised:  December 10, 2012