Tobacco use among Minnesota teens is declining, according to a new survey released last week by the Minnesota Department of Health.

The 2008 Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey states that the percentage of high school students using any tobacco products fell from 29.3 percent to 27.0 percent, according to a news release. The percentage of high school students who smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days fell from 22.4 to 19.1 percent.

“We’re encouraged by the continued decline in youth tobacco in Minnesota,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Sanne Magnan in the release. “Many local public health departments, tobacco prevention organizations and other partners contributed to this decline. We have more work to do, however, because tobacco use remains the single most preventable cause of death in this country.”

Over the past eight years, smoking has dropped by 63 percent among middle school students and 41 percent among high school students, the release stated.

Sixteen-year-old Albert Lea High School student Judd Bonnerup said he thinks this is true because smoking is less appealing and because of peer impacts.

“I think the education of tobacco use is more impacting,” Bonnerup said. “I think the more knowledge you have of it, the less you want to do it.”

Despite this, he said he knows people in his grade who smoke.

The No. 1 reason why those teenagers started smoking, he said, was because of curiosity. Many, also, have parents and other family who smoke.

Rachel Jensen, 14, said she thinks tobacco use is declining because teens have less spare time. She also mentioned that maybe they are smoking other drugs instead.

Off the top of her head, Jensen couldn’t think of anyone her age who smokes. She said those teens who do start smoking, however, are probably doing it to “fit in and be a part of the popular crowd.”

Fourteen-year-old Samantha Reim and Karlee Andersen, 15, said they’ve never been tempted to smoke.

“Some of my family members smoke, but I can’t really stand being around it,” Reim said.

Andersen said she’s never been interested in it either.

“I think the more they teach about it in school, the less people will be tempted to do it,” Reim said.

Andersen concurred.

“The things I’ve learned in school make me want to think twice about it,” she said.

In high school, a 10th-grade health class is required. During that class, the teachers go over what happens to a person’s body because of smoking. The students also learned about the effects of smoking in their elementary and middle school health classes.

Many students interviewed by the Tribune said though they know people who smoke, they aren’t feeling like those people are pressuring them to smoke.

“I am friends with someone who smokes,” said 15-year-old Daniel Barnick. “I think it’s just wrong because it basically kills your body.”

He said he thinks teenagers may be reducing tobacco use because more people are starting to get asthma and get sick from it.

Robert Walechka, 17, said he didn’t really know why the numbers were declining.

Barnick and Walechka, along with Jill Barnick and Nick Olson, said it doesn’t bother them when they have friends around them who smoke.

After a few minutes talking about tobacco use in their school, the group said they think most people who do smoke end up doing so when they are 12 or 13.

Luckily for these students in middle school the percentages are declining as well, according to the release.

The survey stated that the percentage who used any tobacco products in the past 30 days fell from 9.5 percent to 6.9 percent. The percentage of that age group who smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days fell from 5.2 to 3.4 percent, according to the release.

While statewide these numbers mean there are 12,000 fewer high school and middle school students using tobacco than in 2005, there are still 85,000 students who continue to use tobacco, the release stated.

While tobacco numbers may be declining, some of the students interviewed said they think their school is seeing more of a problem with alcohol, they said.

They noted that at least 40 percent of the senior class drinks on a casual basis.

The Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey can be found at http://www.state.mn.us/divs/chs/tobacco/index.html.

The Minnesota Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Office works to improve the health of Minnesotans by promoting the reduction of tobacco use.