The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the University of Michigan have released a new survey showing no change over the past year in the percentage of 8th, 10th and 12th grade students who smoke.

Is this simply due to cuts in state anti-smoking programs, or does it represent a change in the zeitgeist of a country grappling with several weighty issues? (portrayed in “B” movies by the line “Smoke ’em if you’ve got ’em”).

Or perhaps we parents just don’t give a damn if our kids start smoking. After all, it takes a continuous, relentless commitment to parenting in order to guide our sons and daughters down the right path of life. This work tends to interfere with our golf games, cocktail parties and couch-potato time, not to mention the abuse we receive from our teenagers whenever we start lecturing them.

Yes, raising kids is not for the faint of heart. This doesn’t relieve us, however, of our responsibility to do everything in our power to prevent underage smoking. Of course, we medical oncologists don’t exactly stop preaching about tobacco-related illnesses just because a youth reaches legal age. I think you know the reason why.