Table 2.

Cigarette Use Among United States Adolescents by Sex, 1991 vs 2021

Cigarette Use by Year, % (95% CI)a
Cigarette Usage CategorySex19912021
EverBoys70.6 (68.6-72.6)17.8 (16.0-19.8)
Girls69.5 (66.4-72.5)17.7 (15.2-20.4)
Overall70.1 (67.8-72.3)17.8 (15.9-19.9)
OccasionalBoys27.6 (24.6-30.9)3.9 (3.1-4.9)
Girls27.3 (23.9-31.0)3.7 (3.2-4.4)
Overall27.5 (24.8-30.3)3.8 (3.3-4.4)
FrequentBoys13.0 (11.2-15.1)0.9 (0.7-1.4)
Girls12.4 (9.8-15.7)0.4 (0.3-0.8)
Overall12.7 (10.6-15.3)0.7 (0.6-1.0)
DailyBoys10.5 (8.6-12.6)0.8 (0.6-1.0)
Girls9.1 (6.8-11.9)0.3 (0.2-0.6)
Overall9.8 (7.8-12.2)0.6 (0.4-0.8)
  • aStatistically significant differences (P<0.05) were observed in cigarette use between 1991 and 2021 for boys and girls.

  • Note: Ever is defined as taking even 1 or 2 puffs; occasional is defined as smoking on at least 1 day during the 30 days before completing the Youth Risk Behavior Survey; frequent is defined as smoking on 20 or more days during the 30 days before the survey; and daily is defined as smoking on all 30 days during the 30 days before the survey.