Cigarette ash tray

While the rate of teens smoking has decreased over the past 10 years, no changes have been noted in the past few years, alluding to the need for additional efforts explaining tobacco prevention, research from the U.S. government proves.

From 2000 to 2009, the rate at which high school students smoked cigarettes dropped 10.8 percent, and 5.8 percent in middle school students.

Researchers explain the decline from 2006 to 2009 was insignificant, a mere 2.6 percent in high school students, and only 1.1 percent in students in middle school.

A survey showed nearly one in four students in high school have used tobacco, and about one in twelve students in middle school have.

Data shows tobacco usage of more than 15 percent for students in middle school and over 34 percent for students in high school in the year 2000.

Tobacco use is still the number one preventable cause of death in the United States, and nearly all adult smokers begin their habit before they turn 18.

Advertising restrictions, limited availability of products, public bans on smoking, and increased prices of tobacco products are all effective solutions to reduce smoking, researchers add.