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Detroit teens spend less time lighting cigarettes than their peers around America.
In a survey from city health departments, only 3.4 percent of teenagers in Detroit smoke -- far below the 15.7-percent national average. The results were released on Tuesday, World Tobacco Day, by the Big Cities Health Coalition.
Students from 13 major cities were given a survey from the Center for Disease Control in 2013, The Detroit News reports. The survey asked whether students have smoked cigarettes recently, but didn't ask about marijuana or e-cigarettes.
Other cities surveyed include Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Boston.
“It’s a very interesting success story,” program director Chrissie Juliano told the Detroit News. “Obviously, there are a variety of challenges Detroit has seen in the past few years and the demographics of the city don’t suggest this. This very low teen smoking number really is a bright spot for Detroit.”
In the article, Detroit Health Department director Abdul El-Sayed says fewer tobacco retailers could be a reason for the decline. He also said that many Detroiters have less disposable income and may not be able to afford cigarettes regularly.
“The reality is in a city like ours where we know our kids suffer from a number of diseases more commonly than in other cities, this is a great thing,” El-Sayed said. “It’s something to build off of.”
