As of 1984 youth smoking rates were sharply declining. Tobacco control intervened through COMMIT, focusing on children as young as third grade.  The persistence rate increased from 26.8 to 28.3 percent.

In 1988 youth tobacco persistence was again decreasing. Dr. Koop launched his campaign to sell tobacco consumers that they no longer had a habit they could quit, they were addicted. Persistence increased from 27.3 to 29.7 percent.

In 1992 youth persistence was again declining. Project ASSIST began its intervention years in 1993, aggressively focusing Dr. Koop's addiction theme on children at school. Persistence increased for five consecutive years, from 27.8 to 37.6 percent (virtually back to 1970's levels.)

In 2000 youth smoking persistence was again declining. We now see nationwide Legacy Foundation advertisements targeting our children with the message "Nicotine is as addicting as heroin and cocaine." And youth smoking rates are again on the rise.

Between l988 and l996 the state of California increased tobacco taxes by 270% and during that same period youth smoking rates increased by 37%.

Someone defined insanity as "repeating the same behavior over and over again expecting different results."

It's time to stop the insanity.

Monitoring the Future Survey on youth drug use, December 2000

 "Our data allowed us to directly examine the impact of changes in tax rates on youth smoking behavior and our results indicate this impact is small or nonexistent." -- Donald Kenkel, Cornell University Department of Policy Analysis and Management

"Conclusion: Availability of cheaper cigarettes is not likely to be a cause of increased smoking initiation by adolescents."-- Gilpin EA, Pierce JP, "Trends in adolescent smoking initiation in the United States"

However...use of the drug ecstasy by teenagers has increased for the second year in a row, illicit drug use among seniors is 40.9%., and the number of high school seniors using heroin was at its highest point since the survey began in 1975. Thirty-six percent of high school seniors use marijuana, and 3 out of 4--a staggering 75%--seniors, 66% of 10th graders and 40% of 8th graders drank alcohol in the prior year.

It definitely IS time to stop the insanity.