LAS VEGAS — October 20, 2009 — Tobacco use among Nevada high school students is increasing, according to data collected from more than 7,000 oral cancer screenings by the UNLV School of Dental Medicine Crackdown on Cancer program.

From July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009, the dental school surveyed high school students in eight Nevada counties and found that 23 percent of Nevada high school students actively use tobacco-based products - a 7 percent increase from the previous year. (Nationally, roughly 20 percent of high school students smoke cigarettes, according to a 2007 survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Additionally, the program found 283 tissue abnormalities in high school students from around the state.

Established in 2001, Crackdown on Cancer is a tobacco education and intervention program presented to Nevada middle and high schools in an effort to prevent addiction to tobacco, marijuana and methamphetamines. Participating students receive information about the risks of tobacco-based products, secondhand smoke, oral cancer, gum disease and tooth decay, along with intervention and tobacco cessation counseling. Additionally, dentists and dental hygienists perform comprehensive oral cancer screenings in a mobile dental clinic. The program is supported by a grant from the Fund for a Healthy Nevada.

For more information or to schedule a Crackdown on Cancer visit, members of the public may call (702) 774-2545, or visit UNLV Dental School.