A recent statewide, voluntary survey of Alaskan teens found that one in three report currently smoking cigarettes or cigars, or using smokeless tobacco or e-cigarettes.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services also found that nearly one out of five students reported using e-cigarettes during the past month.
This year was the first time electronic cigarettes were included in the survey, which is taken every two years with parental consent.
Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Valerie Davidson stated, “These numbers are alarming. We were making progress, but when a third of our high school students now report using tobacco or e-cigarettes, we need to increase our partnerships with schools and local leaders.”
From 1995 through 2013, Alaska saw a significant decline in the percentage of Alaska teens who reported smoking (from 37% in 1995 to 11% in 2013) or using smokeless tobacco (from 16% in 1995 to 9% in 2013).
The 2015 YRBS data showed the following about tobacco and nicotine products:
- 11 percent of Alaska high school students are current smokers (smoked at least once in the past 30 days);
- 21 percent of high school students say they currently use either combustible tobacco products, including cigarettes and cigars, or smokeless tobacco;
- About 18 percent of teens report current use of e-cigarettes;
- More boys (36 percent) than girls (25 percent) report using tobacco and/or e-cigarette products; and
The department also noted that a significant disparity remains for smoking by race: nearly 20% of Alaska Native teens report current smoking, while only 7% of white teens report current smoking.