•    8.7% of all respondents (12.4% - 2004) (12.7% - MA YRBS) report having seriously considered attempting suicide during the twelve months prior to the survey (grade 9 – 8.1%, grade 10 – 6.5%, grade 11 – 10.8%, grade 12 – 9.2%).   There was no variation by gender.

•    3.3% of all respondents (6.3% - 2004) (6.4% - MA YRBS) report having actually attempted suicide on at least one occasion during the twelve months prior to the survey.  There was no variation by gender.
 
    “During the past 12 months, how many times did you actually attempt suicide?”
    “At least once”
                            2005 MA
    Grade 9    Grade 10    Grade 11     Grade 12    Total    YRBS
    Female    5.8%    3.3%    3.4%    1.0%    3.5%    7.2%
    Male    2.5%    2.1%    4.5%    2.7%    3.0%    5.6%
    Total    4.2%    2.8%    4.0%    1.9%    3.3%    6.4%
    2005 MA YRBS     6.9%    6.5%    5.3%    6.3%   

TOBACCO USE

•    Nearly one-third (30.7%) of all respondents (30.9% - 2004) report having ever smoked a whole cigarette.  The incidence of lifetime cigarette use was highest in grade 12 (grade 9 – 20.2%, grade 10 – 30.1%, grade 11 – 36.3%, grade 12 – 37.3%) (females – 28.9%, males – 32.5%).  Further, 7.8% of all respondents (9.6% - 2004) (13.2% - MA YRBS) report having smoked a whole cigarette for the first time before the age of 13. 

•    17.1% of all respondents (17.6% - 2004) (20.5% - MA YRBS) report having smoked cigarettes on at least one day during the thirty days prior to the survey. 

“During the past 30 days, on how many days did you smoke cigarettes?”
    “At least once”
                            2005 MA
   Grade 9    Grade 10    Grade 11     Grade 12    Total    YRBS
    Female    9.5%    14.0%    16.0%    22.4%    15.1%    20.1%
    Male    13.9%    15.3%    26.0%    20.4%    19.2%    20.7%
    Total     11.6%    14.6%    21.2%    21.4%    17.1%    20.5%
    2005 MA YRBS     18.8%    20.0%    19.8%    23.5%       

•    6.2% of all respondents (8.4% - 2004) (9.0% - MA YRBS) report having smoked cigarettes on school property on at least one occasion during the thirty days prior to the survey (grade 9 – 4.6%, grade 10 – 7.3%, grade 11 – 7.2%, grade 12 – 5.9%) (females – 3.9%, males – 8.7%). 

•    10.7% of all respondents (11.8% - 2004) (13.5% - MA YRBS) report having smoked cigars, cigarillos, or little cigars on at least one occasion during the thirty days prior to the survey.  Respondents from grade 10 (5.9%) were less likely to have done so than were those from the other grades (grade 9 – 9.3%, grade 11 – 14.1%, grade 12 – 13.2%).  Males (18.1%) were much more likely to have done so than were females (3.5%).