The survey

also found that while 8.9 percent of middle school students and 23.7 percent

of high school students smoke, nearly half report that they would like

to quit.

In the LaGrange

Health District, nearly 13 percent (12.8) of middle school students smoke

cigarettes. This is the first time the state has had baseline data on

youth tobacco use.

The Georgia

Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), conducted in the fall of 2001, collected

information regarding tobacco use among 2,800 middle and 2,900 high school

students in Georgia. It asked questions such as tobacco prevalence, access,

cessation, knowledge and attitudes, social influences, media and advertising

influence and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, and compared Georgia

results with nationwide results.

"We expect

that the results of this survey will help organizations and community

groups create, implement, and evaluate youth tobacco use prevention programs,"

said Jim Martin, DHR commissioner.

The survey

concluded that 9.5 percent of Georgia's high school students use smokeless

tobacco, which is higher than the national average of 6.6 percent.

Other findings

released today include:

70.2 percent

of middle school and 56.5 percent of high school smokers live with a smoker.

14.5 percent

of middle school students and 31.7 percent of high school students use

some form of tobacco.

8.9 percent

of middle school students and 23.7 percent of high school students currently

smoke cigarettes.

18.3 percent

of middle school and 47.1 percent of high school smokers purchase cigarettes

at a gas station.

54.2 percent

of middle school and 47.7 percent of high school smokers would like to

quit smoking.

79.7 percent

of middle school and 83.3 percent of high school smokers believe that

tobacco is addictive.

44.9 percent

of middle school and 27.8 percent of high school smokers think that cigarette

smokers have more friends.

75 percent

of middle school students and 81.2 percent of high school students had

seen or heard commercials on tobacco use prevention in the 30 days preceding

the survey.

"Study

after study has shown that smoking is a health hazard and that secondhand

smoke increases the frequency of childhood asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia,

colds and sore throats," said Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H.,

director of

the DHR's Division of Public Health. "Results from the survey show

that students who smoke are significantly more likely than nonsmokers

to live with a smoker."

As a follow-up

to the baseline data, the Georgia Department of Human Resources, in collaboration

with the Georgia Department of Education, will conduct combined youth

tobacco and risk behavior surveys in the fall of 2002 that will include

a random sample of middle and high school students statewide.

"This

is the first time we've been able to collect data on high school and middle

school students and tobacco use, and we feel it's important to let Georgians

know our children's attitudes towards tobacco," said NaTasha Howard,

tobacco program coordinator for the LaGrange Health District. "Now

that we have this information, we can further focus our efforts on informing

our youth about the dangers of tobacco and encourage parents to set an

example for their children by living healthy lifestyles."

UNITE Georgia

is an initiative of the Tobacco Use Prevention Section (TUPS), DHR Division

of Public Health, in partnership with the Georgia Cancer Coalition. In

1998, Georgia was awarded $4.8 billion as one of 46 states in a landmark

settlement against major tobacco companies, receiving the first allocation

of $150 million during the 2000 legislative session. UNITE Georgia, a

state-supported and community-driven program, aims to create a better

understanding and awareness of tobacco's effect on Georgia. For additional

information, please visit www.unitegeorgia.co m.

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