The prevalence of smokeless tobacco and cigarette use among sixth, seventh and eighth grade students: a longitudinal investigation.

Few studies have reported on the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use among young children in Canada, although research conducted in the United States indicates a rising trend in smokeless tobacco use among school-aged children. We report on rates of smokeless tobacco experimentation and current use and its relationship to cigarette smoking in a large sample of students followed from Grade 6 through Grade 8 in Calgary, Canada. The rates of smokeless tobacco experimentation and use reported are low in comparison to the corresponding prevalence reported in the American findings. In accordance with the American findings, however, both experimentation and current use of smokeless tobacco were more prevalent among males. Also, a high correspondence between smokeless tobacco and cigarette use was observed.