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Eliminate cigarette smoking initiation in adolescents and young adults — TU‑10

Status: Improving

  
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Improving

Most Recent Data:
3.5 percent (2019)

Target:
0.0 percent

Desired Direction:
Decrease desired

Baseline:
4.0 percent of adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 25 years who had not previously smoked cigarettes in their lifetime first smoked cigarettes in the past 12 months in 2018

Eliminate the initiation of the use of cigarettes among adolescents and young adults

Target-Setting Method
Projection

Summary

Most adults who smoke started before age 18 years, so preventing adolescents from starting is key to reducing smoking in adults. A comprehensive approach that includes raising the minimum age for tobacco sales to 21 years can help reduce smoking initiation in adolescents and young adults.

Workgroup: Tobacco Use Workgroup