NSTEP - Smokeless Does NOT Mean Harmless

Spit Tobacco Prevalence Data

At the national level, the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that 13.6 percent of all boys in U.S. high schools, and 2.2 percent of high school girls currently use spit tobacco products.

For the state level, included on this page are data sets from the Census Bureau and from the CDC. The state data Immediately below include all males, ages 15 and older, who currently use spit tobacco (snuff or chew) every day or on some days. The data is from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey 2003 (released in 2006), which is designed and adminsterd by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). These data can be compared on a state-by-state basis.

Prevalence of current use of snuff or chewing tobacco (use everyday or some days) for males age 15 years and older, 2003 Current Population Survey - Tobacco Use Supplement (administered February, June, and November 2003), self-report only.

	STATE	%
	Alabama	7.8
	Alaska	5.1
	Arizona	2.2
	Arkansas	8.9
	California	1.0
	Colorado	3.6
	Connecticut	0.9
	Delaware	1.0
	D.C.	0.6
	Florida	1.4
	Georgia	4.1
	Hawaii	0.5
	Idaho	5.7
	Illinois	2.0
	Indiana	2.9
	Iowa	3.6
	Kansas	7.4
	Kentucky	7.3
	Louisiana	4.0
	Maine	2.3
	Maryland	0.8
	Massachusetts	0.6
	Michigan	2.0
	Minnesota	4.9
	Mississippi	9.9
	Missouri	4.4
	Montana	10.8
	Nebraska	7.1
	Nevada	1.9
	New Hampshire	0.5
	New Jersey	0.9
	New Mexico	3.9
	New York	1.2
	North Carolina	4.0
	North Dakota	6.2
	Ohio	4.5
	Oklahoma	6.7
	Oregon	4.0
	Pennsylvania	4.4
	Rhode Island	0.7
	South Carolina	3.4
	South Dakota	6.2
	Tennessee	6.7
	Texas	4.2
	Utah	2.8
	Vermont	3.4
	Virginia	2.5
	Washington	3.9
	West Virginia	10.7
	Wisconsin	3.8
	Wyoming	11.0
	United States	3.2

In the past, NSTEP has only listed data from the Youth Risk Behaviour Surveys (YRBS) (below) conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These data sets are useful when looking at population usage within a state, but are not appropriate for state-by-state comparisons. States use very different sampling models (for example, some states do not include private and religious schools, and others do) and analysis strategies. Also, many states do not participate. The following are from the 2005 YRBS, unless noted otherwise. The YRBS asks if participants have used smokeless tobacco one or more times in the past 30 days.

Percentage of Male High School Students Who Used Smokeless Tobacco - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 2005. (Reported using chewing tobacco or snuff on at least one of the 30 days preceding the survey.)

	State	%
	Alabama	29.5
	Alaska	15.6 (2003
	Arizona	8.2 (2003)
	Arkansas	24.2
	California	NA
	Colorado	15.2
	Connecticut	NA
	Delaware	7.9
	D.C.	NA
	Florida	9.2
	Georgia	12.4
	Hawaii	NA
	Idaho	15.6
	Illinois	NA
	Indiana	14.8
	Iowa	14.9
	Kansas	17.4
	Kentucky	25.4
	Louisiana	NA
	Maine	10.5
	Maryland	4.4
	Massachusetts	8.0
	Michigan	11.1
	Minnesota	NA
	Mississippi	15.5
	Missouri	11.5
	Montana	22.8
	Nebraska	14.5
	Nevada	7.8
	New Hampshire	11.1
	New Jersey	NA
	New Mexico	14.5
	New York	6.9
	North Carolina	NA
	North Dakota	18.3
	Ohio	13.4
	Oklahoma	20.1
	Oregon	NA
	Pennsylvania	NA
	Rhode Island	6.7
	South Carolina	18.2
	South Dakota	20
	Tennessee	24.7
	Texas	12.6
	Utah	5.2
	Vermont	13.1
	Virginia	NA
	Washington	NA
	West Virginia	26.5
	Wisconsin	14.4
	Wyoming	22.2
	United States	13.6

Special thanks to Scott Tomar, DMD, DrPH, Professor and Chair, Department of Community Dentistry & Behavioral Science, University of Florida College of Dentistry, for providing the analysis to the Current Population Survey.