Indicator Report - Tobacco Use: Youth Smoking Prevalence
Why Is This Important?
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. One in five adults and one in four youth smoke in New Mexico. About half of all lifetime smokers will die early because of their decisions to smoke. In New Mexico, about 2,100 people die from tobacco use annually and another 42,000 are living with tobacco-related diseases. Annual smoking-related costs in New Mexico are $928 million ($461 million in direct medical costs and $467 million in lost productivity).Youth Smoking Prevalence by Year, New Mexico vs. US 2001-2009
Data Sources
New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey, New Mexico Department of Health and Public Education Department.Other Views
Definition
A current smoker is defined as a youth in grades 9-12 in a NM public high school who smoked cigarettes on one or more days in the past month.How We Calculated the Rates
| Numerator: | Number of youth who reported smoking cigarettes on one or more days in the past month |
| Denominator: | All youth who participated in the YRRS |
Page Content Updated On 12/15/2010,
Published on 01/20/2011
