2012 Surgeon General’s Report
Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults
Parent Conversation Card [PDF – 710 KB]
The Parent Conversation Card is intended to help parents talk to their children about tobacco use. This card offers practical ways to initiate conversations with children and provide background information on tobacco use.
Physician Conversation Card [PDF – 624 KB]
The Physician Conversation Card is intended to help health care providers (e.g., physicians, nurses, pharmacists, etc.) initiate dialogue about tobacco use with adolescent patients and also to help persuade parents to be actively engaged in keeping their children safe from the health effects of smoking.
Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults
Overview of Key Findings from the 2012 Report
About the Surgeon General’s Video Contest
On March 8, 2012, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin announced the Surgeon General’s Video Contest: Tobacco — I’m Not Buying It, and challenged youth and young adults to speak up about preventing tobacco use. She started the conversation with her own video, entitled “Destiny.”.
The Surgeon General announced contest winners on Wednesday, May 30, 2012. The public voting phase of the Tobacco — I’m Not Buying It video contest officially ended on May 7, 2012, and all finalists were judged by an expert panel to determine the contest winners.
To see which submissions won, check out the public gallery, below, or visit the Surgeon General’s Video Contest Winners playlist on YouTube*. Share this page and feature your favorite videos on your social networks to encourage all young Americans to help make the next generation tobacco free!
Ages 13-17 Category
Grand Prize Winner: Tobacco I’m Not Buying It Rap
The Manatee Youth for Christ SOZO team, from Bradenton, Florida, rap about the dangers of tobacco, its effect on youth, and why they’re not buying it. This video, created by Dantreal Waiters, was the grand prize winner in the 13-17 age category of the Surgeon General’s Video Contest: Tobacco — I’m Not Buying It.
First Runner Up: We Deserve a Chance to Live Out Our Dreams!
Kids learn about life by watching their parents. What if kids grew up in a smoke-free world? That’s the premise of this video by Taylor Blackwell from Jupiter, Florida. This video was the first runner up winner in the 13-17 age category of the Surgeon General’s Video Contest: Tobacco — I’m Not Buying It.
Second Runner Up: It’s Just Not Worth It
Cigarette smoking has reached an all-time high at Michael Margiotti’s school in Moorestown, New Jersey. With students already suffering from shortness of breath and other effects, he details what else they can expect in the future and says: it’s just not worth it. This video was the second runner up winner in the 13-17 age category of the Surgeon General’s Video Contest: Tobacco — I’m Not Buying It.
Third Runner Up: Duplin TRU Team
What if you woke up one day and your best friend was gone? What if you could never see them again? The negative effects of smoking are the subject of this video by the Duplin TRU Team from North Carolina, who challenge young adults to be the end to the cycle. This video, created by the Duplin TRU team, was the third runner up winner in the 18-25 age category of the Surgeon General’s Video Contest: Tobacco — I’m Not Buying It.
Ages 18-25 Category
Grand Prize Winner: You Don’t Smoke Cigarettes, Cigarettes Smoke You
People think they smoke cigarettes, but with all the negative health consequences, such as heart disease and asthma, could it be said that cigarettes are smoking us? This video, created by Ayyaz Amjad, was the grand prize winner in the 18-25 age category of the Surgeon General’s Video Contest: Tobacco — I’m Not Buying It.
First Runner Up: Not Quite So Different
Two women, different on the surface, discover that they may both suffer from similar health problems in the future, because they are both smokers. This video, created by William Bowman, was the first runner up winner in the 18-25 age category of the Surgeon General’s Video Contest: Tobacco — I’m Not Buying It.
Second Runner Up: Smokers Don’t Understand
What would it be like to get lung cancer when you’re not even a smoker? The negative effects of secondhand smoke are examined in this video, created by Jack Carpenter. It was the second runner up winner in the 18-25 age category of the Surgeon General’s Video Contest: Tobacco — I’m Not Buying It.
Third Runner Up: Impact of Tobacco – Don’t Be Fooled
Celebrities, movies, popular culture, and the tobacco industry try to make smoking look desirable and glamorous, but what aren’t they telling you? This video, created by Crystal Blair, was the third runner up winner in the 18-25 age category of the Surgeon General’s Video Contest: Tobacco — I’m Not Buying It.
Spanish Category
Grand Prize Winner: El Tabaco y la industria
Más del 99% de los consumidores de tabaco adultos empezaron a fumar siendo jóvenes. La industria tabacalera trata de hacer que sus productos sean atractivos para los jóvenes, pero, ¿cuál es la verdad sobre el tabaco? Este video, creado por Sarah Skipper, Karolina Almasi, Taylor Crews, Natalie Curtis, y Malorie McKinnon, ganó en el concurso de videos de la Cirujana General de los EE. UU., en la categoría de español de 18 a 25 años de edad: Tabaco: No me convence.
First Runner Up: Yo tengo el poder
La industria tabacalera te quiere influenciar para que fumes, pero tú tienes el poder de escoger mejores opciones. Este video ganó en el concurso de videos de la Cirujana General de los EE. UU., en la categoría de español de 18 a 25 años de edad: Tabaco: No me convence.
* Disclaimer: The videos within the playlist and the public gallery have been submitted as part of the U.S. Surgeon General’s Video Contest: Tobacco — I’m Not Buying It. These videos were submitted by groups or individuals, and feature their own interpretations, opinions and dramatizations, about tobacco use, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States Surgeon General’s Office, or the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Including these videos within the gallery and playlist does not constitute an official endorsement on behalf of the CDC, the Surgeon General’s Office, or HHS. Social media provides a dynamic environment for a variety of people to express their views. Comments posted about these videos by partners, organizations, or individuals do not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Government sponsors of this contest.
A new public service advertisement (PSA) featuring Dr. Regina Benjamin, U.S. Surgeon General, shows teens describing their futures if they use tobacco. The PSA makes it clear that smoking causes immediate damage that leads to health problems, even death.
Press Conference
HHS Secretary Sebelius joins U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin and Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard Koh at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. to announce the release of the Surgeon General’s new report, Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults.
Order 2012 Surgeon General’s Report documents from our Publications Catalog. In the Publications Catalog, type in 2012 SGR in the search box.
Disclaimer: Data and findings provided in the publications on this page reflect the content of this particular Surgeon General’s Report. More recent information may exist elsewhere on the Smoking & Tobacco Use Web site (for example, in fact sheets, frequently asked questions, or other materials that are reviewed on a regular basis and updated accordingly).