Hope & Concern

In 2019, 4.3% of high school students in Douglas County 1 reported smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days. This is statistically lower than the state as a whole.

Males were significantly more likely than females to report current smoking (6.1% vs. 2.2%).

Students identifying as Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual and students unsure of their sexual orientation were more likely than students identifying as heterosexual to report current smoking (10.7% and 12.3%, vs. 3.2%).

White, non-Hispanic students were least likely to report current cigarette smoking (3.0%). This is statistically different from Hispanic Only or Hispanic White (8.8%) and Multi-race students (8.7%).

Current cigarette smoking among high school students in Douglas County has decreased 54% since 2013 (9.3% 2013 4.3% 2019).

In 2019, 20.8% of high school students in Douglas County reported vaping in the past 30 days, which is statistically lower than the state as a whole.

Males and females were equally likely to report current vaping (20.2% vs. 21.2%).

Students identifying as Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual were more likely than students identifying as heterosexual to report current vaping (27.7% vs. 20.0%).

Hispanic Only or Hispanic White students report the highest proportion of current vaping, significantly higher than White, non-Hispanic students (27.7% vs. 19.3%). Current vaping increases by age, with each age group and grade reporting a higher prevalence of use.

Students 15 and younger are significantly less likely than older students to report current vaping (15.6% age 15 and younger; 24.4% ages 16 or 17; 29.5%). Students in 9th and 10th grades report a significantly lower prevalence of current vaping than students in 11th and 12th grades (12.9% 9th grade, 19.3% 10th grade, 25.3% 11th grade, 26.0% 12th grade). Current vaping has decreased among high school students in Douglas County by 31% since 2017 (30.0% 2017; 20.8% 2019; DCSD did not participate in HKCS in 2015). Among students who report vaping in the past 30 days, 3 out of 5 tried to quit in the last year, which is significantly higher than the state as a whole. Students who reported vaping were more than twice as likely to self-report depression (feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 weeks in the past 12 months) as students who did not vape (55.0% vs. 24.6%).