Source: Herald, The (WA) Contact: Website: http://www.heraldnet.com/ Pubdate: Fri, 3 Apr 1998 Author: Marlene Cimons, Los Angeles Times MORE TEENS USING TOBACCO Use By Black Youths Has Nearly Doubled In Past Six Years Tobacco use among teenagers jumped by nearly one-third during the past six years, with an especially alarming increase among black youths, federal health officials reported Thursday. Rates of tobacco use - which includes consumption of cigarettes, cigars and smokeless tobacco- rose among high school students from 27.5 percent in 1991 to 36.4 percent in 1997, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And smoking among black teens hailed not too long ago as the one success story in an otherwise bleak picture has almost doubled, the CDC said. The latest findings almost certainly further fuel efforts on Capitol Hill and elsewhere to devise more effective ways to curb tobacco use among young people. On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce Committee approved sweeping tobacco legislation that sets specific targets for reducing teen smoking and establishes penalties against the tobacco industry if these goals are not met. "We're losing ground in the battle to protect our children," said Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala. "There is no excuse for delay. Congress must act promptly to enact comprehensive tobacco control legislation." Health officials said the latest trends are especially disturbing, given the attention directed in recent years toward the problem of teenage tobacco use. "People ask: 'How can this be happening when so much attention is being paid to teen smoking?"' said Dr. Michael Ericksen, director of the CDC's office on smoking and health. I think the answer is that there has been a lot of rhetoric but virtually no action. I think it's time for the rhetoric to stop and the action to start!' Ericksen and other health officials believe an approach that includes product price increases, severe advertising restrictions and beefed up education through the schools, community and media would have a notice. able impact on teen tobacco use. 'We know what works, but we haven't done what works," Ericksen said. The Senate Commerce Committee bill contains some of the provisions called for by Ericksen. It would raise the price of cigarettes by $1.10 a pack over the next five years bringing the average price at the cash register to more than $3 a pack and authorizes a variety of public education programs designed to reduce tobacco use. Lawmakers also are pushing for tobacco companies to agree voluntarily to advertising limitations intended to curb their access to the teenage market. The new CDC data, from the 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, measured tobacco use among more than 16,000 U.S. students in grades 9 through 12. The study found that nearly half 48.2 percent of male students and more than a third - 36 percent - of female students had reported using cigarettes, cigars or smokeless tobacco during the past month. The report also found that the consistent decline in smoking once seen among black youth has now reversed sharply in recent years, increasing by an estimated 80 percent between 1991 and 1997, from 12.6 percent to 22.7 percent. The prevalence of smoking among black males doubled during that period, from 14,2 percent to 28.2 percent, and increased 54 percent among females, from 11.3 percent to 17.4 percent. Health officials said they are baffled by the dramatic changes among black teens, particularly Lmong girls. Since 1976 - and until this latest report smoking had been declining among black teens while increasing for white youths. Health officials had believed that many black youths viewed smoking as "a white thing," Ericksen said. He also said that past interviews with teenagers indicated that black girls regarded smoking as a liability, which makes them look trashy, unlike white girls, who think it makes them look older and glamorous," Ericksen said. But now, apparently, We are losing the only edge we had " he said. He added: In 1976, there was no difference between blacks and whites. Then there was this huge divergence, and now it has turned around, and we don't know what happened." Among white students, 51.5 percent of males and 40.8 percent of females reported using cigarettes, cigars or smokeless tobacco during the past month, the study said. Also, use of any tobacco product was higher among white high school students - 46.8 percent - than Latinos - 36.8 percent - and black Americans - - - 29.4 percent,. the CDC said. Cigarette smoking was highest among whites, at 39.7 percent, having increased from 30.9 percent in 1991. For Utinos, smoking increased from 25.3 percent in 1991 to 34 percent last year. About 1 in 5 students reported using cigars during the past month; an estimated 3 in 10 male students used cigars, compared with about 1 in 10 female students, the agency said.