NIDA Notes

Fewer Girls Are Smoking, But Change Is Uneven

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Rates of cigarette smoking among girls in the eighth grade rose during the early 1990s but then fell sharply between 1995 and 2007. However, racial and ethnic differences persist. Smoking during the past 30 days was highest among American Indian girls and lowest among girls who are black, Asian American, and Latina (but not Mexican American or Puerto Rican). Low socioeconomic status was linked with girls' increased risk of smoking, independent of race and ethnicity.

This line graph displays how fewer girls (in the eighth grade) are smoking, but change is uneven by measuring racial and ethnic differences, with daily cigarette use on the x-axis and percent using on the y-axis.

Text Description

This line graph displays how fewer girls (in the eighth grade) are smoking, but change is uneven by measuring racial and ethnic differences, with daily cigarette use on the x-axis and percent using on the y-axis.

From 1991-1994:

  • 24.8 percent of American Indian girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.
  • 6.7 percent of Black girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.
  • 18.7 percent of Mexican American girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.
  • 6.3 percent of Asian American girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.
  • 17.3 percent of White girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.
  • 21.2 percent of Puerto Rican girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.
  • 13.5 percent of Other Latina girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.

From 1995-1998:

  • 34.5 percent of American Indian girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.
  • 9.1 percent of Black girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.
  • 20.4 percent of Mexican American girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.
  • 8.1 percent of Asian American girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.
  • 22.8 percent of White girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.
  • 21.6 percent of Puerto Rican girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.
  • 15.7 percent of Other Latina girls were smoking cigarettes on a daily use.

Source

Analyses of data from about 36,000 girls who participated in the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future study reported in Wallace, J.M., Jr., et al. Race/ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, and smoking among early adolescent girls in the United States. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 104 Supplement 1:S42–S49, 2009. [Full Text (PDF, 762KB)]