Current Smoking among Mississippi Youth - the latest from the 2010 Youth Tobacco Survey

Overall, rates of tobacco use remained steady. The state has experienced substantial decreases in tobacco use during the early years of our tobacco control programs, and these decreases have been sustained over the past two years. There were no statistically significant increases or decreases in initiation form 2009 to 2010; however, there have been substantial and statistically significant decrease in initiation of cigarette smoking from 1998 to 2010.


Public Middle Schools

• 6,388 Mississippi public middle school students are current smokers
• The prevalence of current smoking has decreased by 72% since 1998, leading to 16,699 fewer young smokers

Public High Schools

• 27,152 Mississippi public high school students are current smokers
• The prevalence of current smoking has decreased by 34% since 1998, leading to 14,190 fewer young smokers  

Senatobia board votes to go smoke-free

With a vote of four to one the City of Senatobia board members voted to adopt an ordinance making Senatobia smoke-free effective April 1. 

Upcoming Posts from the YTS

• Current tobacco use
• Most popular brands among Mississippi Youth
• Popularity of mentholated cigarettes among Mississippi Youth
• Source of cigarettes 
• Addiction & cessation
• Susceptibility among nonsmokers
• Prevention & knowledge
• Perceptions of social norms
• Exposure to tobacco smoke
• Youth who live with smokers
• Youth with friends who use tobacco products

Latest from the 2010 Youth Tobacco Survey

Results are in from the 2010 Mississippi Youth Tobacco Survey. In the public middle schools, we had a 70% response rate with 1644 completed surveys; and in the public high schools, we had a 74% response rate with 1789 completed surveys.

Overall, rates of tobacco use remained steady. The state has experienced substantial decreases in tobacco use during the early years of our tobacco control programs, and these decreases have been sustained over the past two years. There were no statistically significant increases or decreases in initiation form 2009 to 2010; however, there have been substantial and statistically significant decrease in initiation of cigarette smoking from 1998 to 2010.


Today's blog will focus on initiation of tobacco use.

• 26,449 Mississippi public middle school students have tried at least one cigarette
• The prevalence of having ever tried smoking has decreased by 57% since 1998, leading to 34,406 fewer middle school students who have tried smoking
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• 69,857 Mississippi public high school students have tried at least one cigarette
• The prevalence of having ever tried smoking has decreased by 34% since 1998, leading to 33,291 fewer high school students who have tried smoking

Support for Smokefree Air fact sheet

Check out our latest fact sheet. Despite strong public support, the smokefree air bill died in committee today.

Youth Initiation of Tobacco Use

We will soon be releasing our First Quarterly Report for 2011. This report addresses the first goal of tobacco control programs - preventing initiation of tobacco use. Most people who start smoking are younger than 18 years of age, so preventing adolescents from initiating tobacco is critical to reducing the burden of tobacco use on this state. This report summarizes trends in the initiation of several tobacco products among Mississippi middle and high school students. 

Key Outcomes

Initiation of cigarette smoking, cigar smoking, and smokeless tobacco has decreased substantially since statewide tobacco control programs were implemented in 1999. (Source: Mississippi Youth Tobacco Survey)

Initiation of cigarette smoking among middle school students decreased by 52% since 1998, leading to 31,828 fewer middle school students who had tried smoking.

Initiation of cigarette smoking among high school students decreased by 37% since 1998, leading to 37,657 fewer middle school students who had tried smoking.

Smoke-Free Ordinances in Mississippi

There are currently 37 Mississippi communities that have implemented 100% smoke-free ordinances (smoking is not allowed in any indoor public place). Several other communities have implemented partial smoke-free ordinances. This site provides a summary of the key features of these ordinances for each city, as well as a PDF of the ordinance.