The survey released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that in 2000, two-thirds of public schools in the United States prohibited all forms of tobacco on school property and at off-campus school functions, compared to just 36 percent in 1994.

But the study also found that schools scale back on anti-tobacco activities when students get older and are more likely to be exposed to tobacco and alcohol. According to the report, more than a quarter of schools provide health education to sixth-graders, but only 2 percent teach it to high-school seniors.

"It's during these high-school years that kids are practicing most of these health-risk behaviors," said Dr. Laura Kann, the chief researcher for the study.

The survey is the government's most comprehensive study of school health programs.

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