Problem/Objective: The initiation of smoking among youth has been a high priority of public health in Wisconsin. This study will examine overall trends and attitudes of youth toward tobacco use in Wisconsin. Trends will be examined by prevalence, exposure, cessation, media influence, education on danger of tobacco use, community participation, and access and availability to tobacco products. These trends will also be examimed by gender, age, race, and other demographic characteristics.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Wisconsin Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS), 2000-2006 from students in grades 6-12 using SAS statistical software. The survey is conducted every other spring semester of the academic year, and began in 1999-2000. Schools are randomly selected to participate in the survey, and classrooms in the selected schools are randomly selected.

Results: Overall, the smoking prevalence of youth in Wisconsin are at a historic low. From 2000 to 2006, the rate of smoking decreased from 12.2%to 5.8% for middle school students, and from 32.9% to 19.9% for high school students.

Conclusions: The rate of youth cigarette smoking and tobacco use are at historic lows in Wisconsin, but more work must be done. In 2006, 54.8% of high school students and 31.1% of middle school students report having used a tobacco product in their lifetime. School program funding for programs such as FACT and NOT must be increased to prevent young students from starting to smoke and use tobacco products.