Youth & Tobacco:

Twenty-three percent of high school students in the United States are current cigarette smokers—23% of females and 22.9% of males.¹

Approximately 26% of whites, 22% of Hispanics, and 13% of African Americans in high school are current cigarette smokers.¹

Eight percent of middle school students in this country are current cigarette smokers,2 with estimates slightly higher for females (9%) than males (8%).²

Nine percent of whites, 10% of Hispanics, 8% of African Americans, and 3% of Asian Americans in middle school are current cigarette smokers.²

Each day in the United States, approximately 4,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 years initiate cigarette smoking, and an estimated 1,140 young people become daily cigarette smokers.³

Other Tobacco Use
Thirteen percent of high school students are current cigar smokers, with estimates higher for males (18%) than for females (8%).2 Nationally, an estimated 5% of all middle school students are current cigar smokers, with estimates of 7% for males and 4% for females.²

Source:
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/Factsheets/youth_tobacco.htm

References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cigarette Use Among High School Students—United States, 1991–2005. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report [serial online]. 2006: 55(26);724–726 [cited 2006 Dec 5].

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tobacco Use, Access, and Exposure To Tobacco in Media Among Middle and High School Students—United States, 2004. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report [serial online]. 2005: 4(12);297–301 [cited 2006 Dec 5].

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2005). Results From the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. (PDF–1.41MB) (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-27, DHHS Publication No. SMA 05–4061) [cited 2006 Dec 5]. Rockville, MD.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office on Smoking and Health, 1994 [cited 2006 Dec 5].

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Reducing Tobacco Use: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2000 [cited 2006 Dec 5].