Smoking among teens has dramatically decreased statewide, according to statistics released last week by the New York State Department of Health.
Due to the accomplishments of the Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act and efforts which make it difficult for teens to purchase cigarettes, smoking among New York high school students has decreased 53 percent since 2000.
According to Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., most smokers begin before they are 18, while half start smoking before the age of 15.
In Chautauqua County, the average age of first use of cigarettes is 12.4 years, according to the United Way.
Tobacco use by youth in Chautauqua County is higher than that of national peers for lifetime use in grades 8, 10 and 12 according to a survey performed by Chautauqua Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Council.