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Smoking Rate Among New York City Teens Was Lowest on Record in 2007 |
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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz released new data today from the 2007 New York City Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) showing that cigarette smoking among New York City teens declined by 20 percent between 2005 and 2007. The Mayor linked the continuing decline --- which far exceeds the national decline --- to the City's sustained efforts to reduce smoking among adults. Today, that has fallen to about one out of every 12 --- or about 8.5 percent of students," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The reduction in teen smoking we've achieved in New York City will eventually prevent at least 8,000 premature deaths. "Preventing youth smoking will further reduce adult smoking and premature deaths in years to come. "With our Youth Tobacco Enforcement and Prevention Program, we are conducting more undercover inspections than ever, and under the Mayor's leadership, raising compliance to levels never before seen," said Commissioner Mintz. In FY07, 89 percent of businesses were in compliance for not selling cigarettes to teens, while in November alone, 93 percent of businesses --- an all-time record high --- stopped selling cigarettes to kids after being issued a violation. Bronx public high school students have the lowest prevalence of smoking in the city at 6.2 percent --- a tremendous benchmark as historically, communities with socioeconomic challenges often have significant health disparities compared to other parts of the City. For example, compared with other boroughs, the Bronx has the highest HIV and diabetes death rates.
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