A new study shows that rates of smoking among high school students have fallen significantly over the past decade, a trend that’s being seen locally whether or not school districts have 100 percent tobacco-free policies.

Cortni Crews, director of pupil personnel at Barren County Schools, said the district doesn’t see nearly as many students smoking as it did a decade ago, attributing this to the district’s tobacco-free policy and instruction that teaches about tobacco’s health detriments.

“I think students are conscientious and aware of the health effects, more so than previous generations,” she said.

The district’s participation in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program has been important in dissuading students from trying tobacco, among other drugs, Crews said.

Brenda Chaney, Barren County Schools’ youth service center coordinator, said there is a school culture that emphasizes refraining from smoking.

“I just attribute it to peer-led activities and peer-led prevention,” she said.

Students Against Destructive Decisions, a student organization that started as Students Against Drunk Driving but expanded its focus to include all other self-destructive activities, has over 100 members and has been important in spreading awareness of the dangers of tobacco use through the district, Chaney said.

“That has been a great chance for students to teach their fellow students,” she said.

According to data from the Kentucky Department of Education, the percentage of students who admitted on a survey to smoking daily fell from 22.5 percent in 1997 to 4.6 percent in 2015.

Over the same stretch of time, the percentage of students claiming to have ever tried cigarettes fell from 77.3 to 44.1.

According to Kentucky 100% Tobacco Free Schools, 35 percent of Kentucky’s school districts have a 100 percent tobacco-free policy, which prohibits staff, students and visitors from smoking on school grounds. These policies are active at 646 schools and protect 51 percent of students.

Simpson County Schools and Warren County Public Schools are the only districts in the Barren River area with 100 percent tobacco-free policies, according to the data. But other districts do consider themselves tobacco-free.

Kentucky 100% Tobacco Free Schools recently touted Warren County Schools as a “success story.” A video on the group’s website shows district officials explaining the school board’s decision to adopt a 100 percent tobacco-free policy.

In the video, former Cumberland Trace Elementary School teacher Mary Evans said the idea originally came about when she realized students could sometimes see staff members smoking at their designated smoking spot behind the school. “That really got me to thinking, like, this is not good,” she said. “We’re trying to teach tobacco prevention and teach kids healthy habits and we certainly want our schools to be a safe and healthy place and yet we’re not walking our talk.”

Warren County Public Schools Superintendent Rob Clayton explained in the video that the school board adopting the policy was a quick and seamless process.

“I think everyone knew that it was the right thing to do,” he said. “We wanted to set the right example for our kids, our community.”

Virgil Livers, an assistant principal at Bowling Green High School, said student tobacco use is also a much smaller problem in the Bowling Green Independent School District than in years past.

“We don’t have problems with teens smoking like we used to,” he said. “We don’t see a lot of cigarette butts lying around or anything like that,” he said.

Since he was first employed at the school 16 years ago, the district has had a no-tobacco policy for students, Livers said.

“Our issue with smoking has gone down because of our policies and procedures and our teachers enforcing them,” he said. “We hardly even notice it anymore.”

— Follow Daily News reporter Jackson French on Twitter @Jackson_French or visit bgdailynews.com.