Study finds slowing drop in youth tobacco use

Cigarette butts in an ashtray in Los Angeles, CaliforniaATLANTA (Reuters) – The once-rapid decline in tobacco use among young people has slowed as cash-strapped states slash funding for anti-smoking campaigns, a federal study released on Thursday showed. From 2009 to 2011, the percentage of high school students using tobacco dropped only slightly, to 23.2 percent from 23.9 percent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. The decline was greater among middle school students, dropping to 7.1 percent from 8.2 percent, the CDC said. …