Trends in cigarette, cigar, and smokeless tobacco use among New York City public high school youth smokers, 2001–2013

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to describe the recent trends in youth smoking behaviors, and examine cigar and smokeless tobacco use patterns among youth smokers in New York City.MethodsData, analyzed in 2014, were from the New York City Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a cross-sectional survey conducted bi-annually since 1997 in a representative sample of New York City public high school students (2001–2013), n=59,122.ResultsCigarette smoking declined 53%, from 17.6% in 2001 to 8.2% in 2013 (p<0.001). The proportion of cigar use among smokers doubled, from 22.2% in 2001 to 45.9% in 2013 (p<0.001), while the proportion of smokeless tobacco use among smokers increased by 400% between 2001 and 2013 (4.2% vs. 21.2%, p