RACE DIVIDES TEEN-AGE SMOKERS

Smoking among black high school students continues to lag behind teen
smoking in other racial groups, despite an overall increase in the national
youth smoking rate from 25 percent in 1991 to 33 percent today.

The trend is most pronounced among high school girls, where statistics show
white students are more than three times as likely to smoke than their
black counterparts, according to a 1995 federal survey showing smoking
rates of 40 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

There are many reasons for the disparity, say local and federal
researchers, who mostly cite attitude differences for the ever-burgeoning
gap.

White teen-age girls usually start smoking for weight control and personal
empowerment, especially in relation to men and boys, they say.

On the other hand, researchers say, black high school girls tend to hold
extremely negative views of smoking, believing it adversely affects their
lives and is disrespectful to parents.

"When I talk to young African-American youth, smoking is a 'white thing.'
It's just what they do," said Sylvia Jimenez, project director of the
Alameda County Public Health Department Tobacco Control Program.

Jimenez joined Serena Chen, public affairs director with the American Lung
Association of Alameda County, in saying that thin girls are more valued
and accepted among Caucasians than in other ethnic groups, so white girls
often feel greater pressure to watch their weight.

"It's cultural," Jimenez said. "With Hispanic girls it's also the same
thing. Latin women are not held to that same standard. Women with more meat
on their bones are more attractive, just like with the black culture."

Local teen-agers, however, have their own reasons for the disparities
between white and black female high school smokers.

They said, and state surveys support them, that in general smoking has lost
its appeal among most California teen-agers, 91.1 percent of whom would
rather date a nonsmoker, according to surveys by the Tobacco Control
Section of the state Department of Health.

Even former young smokers such as Piedmont High School juniors Elisabeth
Watson, 17, and Meredith Cole, 16, consider smoking a "disgusting habit"
and something that's more acceptable among the "unpopular" students.

They, like McClymonds High School seniors Letitia Henderson and Lesha
Tyler, say today's high schoolers are more apt to smoke marijuana than
cigarettes.

Many experts consider tobacco use to be the main pathway to illegal drug use.

"Alcohol is not the level of 'gateway drug as tobacco." Ralph Cantor,
coordinator with the Alameda County Tobacco Prevention and Safe, Drug Free
Schools program. said.

"Tobacco is the No. One gateway drug," said Cantor, who has worked on
substance abuse issues for almost 20 years.

Students of all races have told him they smoke cigarettes to enhance a
marijuana high, Cantor said. And many smoke because they have nothing else
to do.

Peer pressure, stress and relaxation were other reasons cited by local
teen-agers, and in surveys of youth ages 12 to 17 conducted by the
California Department of Health Tobacco Control Section.

According to that data, white teen-agers showed the greatest increase in
smoking rates, up from 10.6 percent in 1990 to 14.1 percent last year. The
rate for Hispanic youths grew from 9.3 percent in 1990 to 11.7 percent in
1995, then dropping to 10.4 percent last year. During the same period, the
rate for young black smokers dropped from 4.5 percent to 2.9 percent. It
reached a high of 6 percent in 1992.

Despite extensive education campaigns, smoking rates among young people
continue to climb, especially for females.

And a new law effective January punishable by a $75 fine in California for
any minor to possess tobacco, will do little to deter future and current
smokers, said April Roeseler of the state health department.

Roeseler cited peer role models, advertisements, promotional materials,
economics and parental influence among factors contributing to black teens
having the lowest smoking rate among any ethnic group, both nationally and
statewide.

Local high school students offered other reasons. "Guys don't like us if we
smoke," Henderson said. "African-American students will smoke marijuana
over cigarettes. We don't think smoking is cool at our school. We look at
it as something that will kill you and harm you. But marijuana is supposed
to heal you. It's a high and won't hurt you
in the long run."