Patterns in first and daily cigarette initiation among youth and young adults from 2002 to 2015

Abstract

This study’s objective was to describe long-term trends and patterns in first cigarette use (cigarette initiation) and daily cigarette use (daily initiation) among youth and young adults in the U.S. We used cross-sectional survey data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2002–2015, to estimate annual incidence of first cigarette use (N = 270,556) and first daily cigarette use (N = 373,464) for each year by age groups, race/ethnicity and gender, examining trends over time and the average annual change in initiation for each group. Several clear patterns emerged: 1) cigarette initiation and daily initiation significantly decreased over time among those aged 12–14 and 15–17 and these trends were consistent among nearly all racial/ethnic and gender subgroups; 2) among 18–21 year olds, cigarette initiation sharply increased through 2009, surpassing rates among 15–17 year olds, and sharply declined through 2015 while remaining higher than rates among the younger group, and this trend was consistent for almost all racial/ethnic subgroups; 3) daily initiation for those aged 18–21 significantly declined, and this was significant among most subgroups 4) there was no change in cigarette initiation and daily initiation for 22–25 year olds overall and most subgroups; 5) there was a significant increase in cigarette initiation for 22–25 year old Hispanics males and daily initiation for 22–25 year old males. This study provides a comprehensive look at trends in cigarette and daily initiation among U.S. youth and young adults. Despite notable declines in smoking initiation among youth and young adult populations over the last two decades, targeted prevention and policy efforts are needed for subgroups at higher risk, including young adults and Hispanic males.

Impact of e-cigarette and cigarette prices on youth and young adult e-cigarette and cigarette behaviour: evidence from a national longitudinal cohort

“…At the same time, inflation43 and gas prices44 declined and remained low, thus increasing individual purchasing power for products such as cigarettes. Finally, the tobacco market-place was changing rapidly during this time, with the introduction of new products45 and evolving tobacco product use patterns among young people 1 46–49. Experimental research finds that the availability of alternatives in the market-place can alter demand for cigarettes in unexpected ways 10.…”

The Effect of Branding to Promote Healthy Behavior: Reducing Tobacco Use among Youth and Young Adults

“…Applying these predictions to age-specific population numbers from the 2014 Census and incorporating our brand awareness levels, the findings indicate that exposure to the truth campaign was associated with preventing an estimated 301,930 U.S. youths aged 15–21 years from becoming current smokers during 2015–2016. Given the recent increases in tobacco use initiation among young adults [ 14 , 38 , 40 ], national, population-based health branding strategies are even more important in helping to accelerate the decline in youth and young adult tobacco use, particularly in states and communities without strong tobacco control implementation.…”

Prevalence and determinants of cigarette smoking relapse among US adult smokers: a longitudinal study

“…Most tobacco control programmes aim to reduce smoking prevalence by preventing smoking initiation and promoting cessation; however, long-term cessation remains challenging. Although research on smoking cessation is abundant, most studies have explored factors associated with quit intentions and overall determinants of smoking abstinence,6–8 with only a few focusing on ‘relapsing’; that is, restarting smoking after a temporarily successful cessation attempt.…”