Racial/Ethnic Differences Among Youths in Cigarette Smoking and Susceptibility to Start Smoking—United States, 2002–2004

December 01, 2006 / Vol. 55 / No. 47

MMWR Introduction

According to the article, "Racial/Ethnic Differences Among Youths in Cigarette Smoking and Susceptibility to Start Smoking — United States, 2002–2004," analyses of National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data indicate that cigarette smoking varied widely among racial/ethnic subpopulations in addition to major populations of youth aged 12–17 years.

The estimated prevalence of cigarette smoking in this age group ranged from 2.2 percent for Viet Namese to 23.1 percent for American Indians/Alaska Natives. The study also suggests that approximately one in five nonsmokers aged 12–17 years is susceptible to start smoking.