Are anti-smoking laws creating a new type of teen smoker?

(CBS) Are all the anti-smoking laws creating a new breed of teen smokers?

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A new study from the CDC shows heavy smoking is down among high school students, but occasional smoking among teens climbed over 12 percent from 1991 to 2009.

"We're seeing a broad national phenomenon," study co-author Dr. Terry Pechachek, associate director for science for the CDC's office on smoking and health, told Reuters. "We may be creating a new type of smoker that may be more durable, that are adapting to smoke-free environments and to changing social norms."

The study - published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine looked at the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey that polled more than 11,000 high school students on their risky habits from tobacco use, sex, and unhealthy eating. Light smoking was defined as smoking between one and five cigarettes a day. The researchers found heavy smoking among teen smokers - those who have more than 11 smokes a day - fell from 18 percent in 1991 to 7.8 percent in 2009. But occasional smoking among teen smokers jumped from 67.2 percent to 79.4 percent.

Pechacek warns that teens smoking cigarettes every once in a while is still risky behavior.

"It is important to note that light and intermittent smoking still has significant health risks," he said in a written statement.

And the health risks can be deadly. A 2005 study in the journal Circulation called "Health Effects of Light and Intermittent Smoking" found risk for ischemic heart disease - a condition where the heart can't pump enough blood to the rest of their body - was three times higher in light smokers than nonsmokers. Smoking one to four cigarettes a day also doubled the risk for a heart attack and tripled the risk of dying from an aneurysm. Let's not forget lung cancer - the study found light smoking women were four times more likely to develop the number one cancer-killer, and smoking men had three times the risk of nonsmokers.

"We want to get across to people that although this is a positive trend, it's very unacceptable to have so many children exposing themselves to something so addictive," Pechacek said to Reuters. The greatest danger is minimizing the risk."

Visit the CDC for more about the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.