Table IIIb.
The Distribution of Age at First Use of Tobacco by Interview Year Compared with a Multiyear “Corrected” Distribution (NHSDA 1982–1995, 1968–1973 Birth Cohort)
| Interview age | Retrospective report of age at first use of tobacco |
Avg. age |
||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| < 12a | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Rep. | Corr. | |
| 12 | 22.9 | 11.0 | 11.0 | |||||||||||||
| 13 | 23.2 | 8.7 | 11.3 | 11.3 | ||||||||||||
| 14 | 25.3 | 8.7 | 7.7 | 11.6 | 11.7 | |||||||||||
| 15 | 18.3 | 9.0 | 7.3 | 10.2 | 12.2 | 11.8 | ||||||||||
| 16 | 15.1 | 10.3 | 9.7 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 12.7 | 12.2 | |||||||||
| 17 | 16.9 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 7.8 | 9.2 | 5.7 | 13.0 | 12.6 | ||||||||
| 18 | 17.2 | 7.5 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 5.0 | 13.4 | 12.9 | |||||||
| 19 | 16.2 | 9.3 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 13.7 | 13.3 | ||||||
| 20 | 16.2 | 8.3 | 7.7 | 8.7 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 5.1 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 13.9 | 13.5 | |||||
| 21 | 13.0 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 9.8 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 14.4 | 13.6 | ||||
| 22 | 13.0 | 8.8 | 6.9 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 9.2 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 14.5 | 13.7 | |||
| 23 | 11.6 | 7.4 | 5.8 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 14.9 | 13.7 | ||
| 24 | 11.5 | 8.4 | 7.6 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 10.6 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 14.7 | 13.7 | |
| 25 | 10.0 | 7.2 | 10.0 | 7.3 | 9.8 | 11.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 14.9 | 13.9 |
| Cum. | 22.9 | 31.9 | 41.7 | 44.8 | 50.8 | 56.8 | 61.3 | 66.4 | 68.0 | 69.9 | 70.9 | 67.8b | 70.8b | 71.7 | ||
| Corr. | 22.9 | 9.0 | 9.8 | 3.0 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | ||
a
Reports of initiation prior to age 11 were rounded up to 11.
b
The cumulative percentage was lower than in a previous year. It was estimated that virtually no one initiated use at this age.