Developed a simulation model to predict the effects of policies for reducing adolescent smoking initiation. The model projected numbers of smokers, never smokers, and ex-smokers by age, sex, and race/ethnicity and effects of reductions in youth initiation. Results predicted that even if tobacco policies eliminated youth initiation, the number of…

Surveyed college health center directors about policies addressing smoking and availability of smoking cessation programs. Though 85 percent considered students' smoking a problem, only 81 percent of colleges prohibited smoking in all public areas, and only 27 percent banned smoking in all indoor areas. Though over half of the schools offered…

To examine changes in cigarette smoking among high school students from 1991-99, researchers analyzed data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Results indicate that students' current smoking increased significantly, from 27.5 percent to 34.8 percent during that time. Results also suggest that later in the decade, current smoking may have…

Examined occupational differences in social influences supporting smoking cessation and their relationships to intentions and self-efficacy to quit and to quitting. Data collected from smokers at 44 worksites indicated that differing social environments contributed to differences by occupational category in smoking prevalence and smoking…

Examined factors related to young adults providing tobacco to minors. Surveys of college students indicated that 33.2 percent were asked to provide tobacco to minors, and 30.8 percent complied. Males were more likely to be approached and provide tobacco than were females. Convenience stores and gas stations were the most popular locations.…

Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Many smokers initiate this dangerous behavior during adolescence. This report describes a contingency management intervention designed to initate and maintain a period of abstinence from cigarettes by adolescent smokers. Results suggest that the intervention was…

The authors report on the development and assessment of an instrument to measure baseline campus cigarette use and outcomes from prevention programs, including those using a social norms approach combined with environmental policy change. They administered the 37-item College Tobacco Survey (CTS) to a convenience sample of 1,279 college students…

The prevalence of college students' tobacco use is widely recognized, but successful cessation and relapse-prevention programs for these smokers have drawn little attention. The authors, who explored the feasibility of training peers to lead cessation and relapse-prevention programs for undergraduates, found a quit rate of 88.2%, suggesting that…

Smoking initiation typically occurs in adolescence and increases over time into emerging adulthood. Thus adolescence and emerging adulthood compose a critical time period for prevention and intervention efforts. To inform these efforts, this study used latent growth mixture modeling to identify 6 smoking trajectories from ages 13 to 23 among 5,914…

In 1998, 46 states and the four major tobacco companies signed the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), which stipulated that the tobacco companies pay states $206 billion over 25 years and take steps to reduce youth smoking. The remaining states settled separately. We sought to determine the effect of the settlements on demand for cigarettes. Using…

A study shows that moderate drinking is associated with 10 percent higher income earnings whereas as heavy drinking is associated with 12 percent higher income. Smoking, however, has reverse trends.

Objectives: To identify factors associated with cigarette smoking in the 6 th -grade through 10 th -grade youth population of Sarasota County, Florida. Methods: A closed-ended, quantitative survey was completed by 2004 youth and used to extract population-specific data on the correlates of cigarette use. Results: A range of factors influence…

Used data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey to describe gender differences in rates of tobacco use among youth worldwide. Results found little difference between the genders in cigarette smoking or use of other tobacco products. There was a high use of other tobacco products compared to cigarette smoking. Findings suggest that programs should…

The association of mobile phone use with health compromising behaviours (smoking, snuffing, alcohol) was studied in a survey comprising a representative sample of 14-16-year-olds (N=3485) in 2001. Mobile phone was used by 89% of respondents and by 13% for at least 1 h daily. The intensity of use was positively associated with health compromising…

Two studies investigated associations between family instability (changes in parents' intimate partners, work hours, residence, children's schools) and adolescent adjustment. In Study 1 (N = 141, M age = 15.23 years), instability was associated with increased caregiver-reported externalizing and internalizing behaviors (including youth-reported…