Survey- American teens smoke less

WASHINGTON -- Smoking is declining sharply among American teens, a finding that health experts are hailing as good news for the public's future health.

Decreases in cigarette smoking were observed for 8th, 10th and 12th graders surveyed.

For 8th graders: Some 12.2 percent of 8th graders reported smoking in the 30 days before they were surveyed, down from 14.6 percent the year before. The peak in the 1990s was 21.0 percent in 1996.

For 10th graders: The survey found 21.3 percent had smoked in the last 30 days, down from 23.9 percent the year before and 30.4 percent, also in 1996.

For 12th graders: 29.5 percent of had smoked in the month before being asked. That was down from 31.4 percent in 2000. Their peak in the 1990s came in 1997 at 36.5 percent.