A new report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that, while cigarette smoking among middle and high school students has been declining, the use of cigars is rising among some groups of students.
Among middle and high school students, cigarette use in 2011 was about 4.3 percent and 15.8 percent, respectively, compared with 10.7 percent and almost 30 percent in 2000, the CDC found, analyzing results from a survey of 19,000 students.
However, among black high school students, cigar use increased from 7.1 percent in 2009 to 11.7 percent in 2011, which the CDC said was significant. Cigar use includes the use of cigarette-like cigars that can be packaged and smoked like typical cigarettes, but are taxed at a lower rate, making them more appealing and accessible to youths.
