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Excerpts from TOBACCO; Middle schoolers lighting up

The Atlanta Journal and Constitution [01/31/00]

About one in every eight middle school students uses some form of tobacco, according to a new study.

The 1999 National Youth Tobacco Survey was conducted from September to October of this year. It is the first survey to look at tobacco use by middle schoolers. It asked students whether they had used tobacco within the past 30 days.

The survey found that about 9 percent of middle school students smoked cigarettes. About 6 percent smoked cigars. About 3 percent used dip or chewing tobacco. About 2 percent used flavored cigarettes called "bidis," and 2 percent smoked clove cigarettes.