Goal: Reduce underage tobacco and electronic vaping product (EVP) use
Indicator: % of Essex County youth in grades 9-12 who tried cigarette smoking before the age of 13
Current Value
11%
Definition
Story Behind the Curve
There were too few students to report this measure for 2021.
Individuals who start smoking at an early age are more likely to develop a severe addiction to nicotine than those who start at a later age.
A special note about 2021 YRBS data: The data from the 2021 YRBS should be interpreted with caution as due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s YRBS was done in the fall instead of the usual spring timeline, meaning that students were overall younger when they completed the survey. In addition, students who participated in the 2021 YRBS may have had a different educational and social experience compared to previous participants. Disruptions, including remote learning, lack of social interactions and extracurricular activities, are likely reflected in the survey results.
References
| Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2014. |
Partners
What Works
Strategy
Clear Impact Suite is an easy-to-use, web-based software platform that helps your staff collaborate with external stakeholders and community partners by utilizing the combination of data collection, performance reporting, and program planning.