Longitudinal patterns of cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use in youth: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

Tobacco use was studied during 1977-76 (n = 2880) and 1981-82 (n = 2158) in a total biracial community of children, aged 8-17 years, in Bogalusa, Louisiana. White males were the early adopters of tobacco products in both surveys. Cigarette smoking decreased in all race and gender groups while smokeless tobacco use increased in White males. Studies which find a decline in male adolescent smoking should investigate a possible concurrent increase in smokeless tobacco.