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Indicator Gauge Icon Legend

Legend Colors

Red is bad, green is good, blue is not statistically different/neutral.

Compared to Distribution

an indicator guage with the arrow in the green the value is in the best half of communities.

an indicator guage with the arrow in the yellow the value is in the 2nd worst quarter of communities.

an indicator guage with the arrow in the red the value is in the worst quarter of communities.

Compared to Target

green circle with white tick inside it meets target; red circle with white cross inside it does not meet target.

Compared to a Single Value

green diamond with downward arrow inside it lower than the comparison value; red diamond with downward arrow inside it higher than the comparison value; blue diamond with downward arrow inside it not statistically different from comparison value.

Trend

green square outline with upward trending arrow inside it green square outline with downward trending arrow inside it non-significant change over time; green square with upward trending arrow inside it green square with downward trending arrow inside it significant change over time; blue square with equals sign no change over time.

Compared to Prior Value

green triangle with upward trending arrow inside it higher than the previous measurement period; green triangle with downward trending arrow inside it lower than the previous measurement period; blue equals sign no statistically different change  from previous measurement period.

green chart bars Significantly better than the overall value

red chart bars Significantly worse than the overall value

light blue chart bars No significant difference with the overall value

gray chart bars No data on significance available

More information about the gauges and icons

Teens who Purchased Own Cigarettes

This indicator shows the percentage of high school students who usually obtain their own cigarettes by buying them in a store or gas station (among the students who were aged <18 years and who currently smoked cigarettes) during the 30 days preceding the survey.

Why is this important?

Research has shown that more than half of teen smokers either buy their own cigarettes from stores or vending machines, buy them from other kids, or give money to adults to buy cigarettes for them.  Some teens bum cigarettes from their friends for free while only a small percentage of teens get their cigarettes by stealing or shoplifting.  Some suggested methods used to prevent teens from purchasing their own cigarettes include ensuring stores that sell cigarettes verify identification to prevent underage sales, impose higher tobacco tax, and parent set limit on the amount of cash that teens carry.
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21.7%
Source: CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
Measurement period: 2011
Maintained by: DC Healthy Communities Collaborative
Last update: November 2014

Data Source

Filed under: Health / Tobacco Use, Health / Adolescent Health, Teens