WHAT IS THIS STUDY ABOUT?
The USC Trends in Tobacco Use Survey (TITUS) is a federally funded study designed to explore the health behaviors, thoughts and attitudes of youth living in Los Angeles. Our goal is to understand how social factors and mental health influence teenagers’ decisions to use tobacco or other drugs. The information we gather will help us create new programs to help teens make better choices about substance use. Please watch the video below for more information.
WHY CONDUCT THIS STUDY?
California was successful in reducing youth smoking over the past few decades. However, the recent popularity of e-cigarettes has provided new challenges to population-based tobacco regulation. The TITUS survey will give researchers the evidence to inform policy makers, educators, and key community stakeholders about this growing health threat.
WHAT DO WE PLAN TO DO?
TITUS will survey a cohort of 2,000 high school students once a year from 9th to 12th grade. We are currently working with 9 high schools in the Los Angeles area.
WHAT IS OUR IMPACT?
We have strong partnerships with the Los Angeles and California Departments of Public Health and the US Food and Drug Administration, with a direct channel for providing research findings to rapidly change local and state policy. Results from our cohort studies have had a significant impact on public policies and prevention efforts locally and nationally. Our findings have played a direct role in informing:
1. Minimum sales age raised to 21 for tobacco products (2016)
2. U.S. surgeon general’s first report on e-cigarettes and youth (2016)
3. Sales ban on flavored tobacco products (including menthol) in California (2020)
4. Sales ban on Juul vaping products in the U.S. (2022)
DATA FROM WAVES 1-3
A total of 1700 valid responses were collected from 9th grade students in wave 1 (2019-2020), 1676 valid responses were collected from 10th grade students in wave 2 (2020-2021), and 1926 valid responses were collected from 10th grade students in wave 3 (2021-2022). The data illustrated below is representative only of students at participating schools.
Click Here to download the full cohort report for TITUS waves 1-3.
