One-fifth of teens continue to smoke

WASHINGTON, June 28 (UPI) -- After dropping sharply between 1997 and 2003, the percentage of U.S. teenagers who smoke has leveled off.

The data suggests a federal program to convince young people to avoid cigarettes is failing, The Washington Post reported on its Web site Saturday.

"This is the most dramatic indication that the great progress we're making has stalled," said Terry Pechacek of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This has very negative long-term implications."

The CDC released the results last week from the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, which polls students every two years on their habits. The number who reported smoking was 20 percent, a statistically insignificant change from 23 percent in 2005.

The percentage of smokers jumped from 27.5 percent in 1991 to 36.4 percent in 1997. It fell sharply to 21.9 percent in 2003.