Reviews the latest statistics relative to tobacco consumption, the health consequences of cigarette use, and future U.S. smoking trends projected through the year 2000. Smoking statistics are presented by ethnicity, gender, educational status, and brand preferences. Also provided are factors contributing to smoking initiation. (GLR)

University students viewed a young woman in a socially oriented role-play that portrayed either a smoker or a nonsmoker. Smoker was rated more outgoing and sophisticated, less easy to manipulate, and less emotional than nonsmoker. No differences were found on other measures. Results are related to previous studies. (Author/EMK)

Presents data from a research project studying tobacco and alcohol use patterns in San Francisco's Chinese community (N=1,808). Results indicate that the prevalence of both tobacco and alcohol use is lower for San Francisco's Chinese population than for the general population. Those who smoke tended to be different from those who drink.…

Focus group discussions with Native-American adolescents aged 11 to 17 in Oklahoma examined why teen smokers started smoking, family and peer influences on smoking, reasons for continuing to smoke, reasons not to smoke, effectiveness of strategies to prevent adolescents from smoking, and awareness of the health risks of smoking. (SV)

Study surveys secondary school students (N=4,773) about five items concerning the circumstances of smoking initiation: age at first cigarette; source of supply; location of first smoke; persons present; and perceived degree of coercion. Although there was a highly significant gender difference on the item concerning age at first cigarette, with…

Focus groups with 128 mothers in 14 Appalachian counties in 10 states examined the women's attitudes toward their own and their children's smoking and use of smokeless tobacco, their willingness to act to protect their children's health, their ability to influence their children's behavior, and their reactions to various tobacco prevention…

Estimates effects of schooling, cognitive ability, and time preference on the probability that young adults smoke cigarettes or use marijuana, using data from the "High School and Beyond 1980 Study." Results show that all three variables affect the likelihood of smoking. Schooling and time preference have modest effects on using marijuana when…

Examined data from adolescents who had completed the 1989 Teenage Attitudes and Practices Survey and who were re-interviewed in 1993 to determine social and environmental factors that influenced their smoking progression. Smoking behavior of best friends and smoking beliefs were consistent and significant factors in predicting progression from…

Explores the issue of socioeconomic differences in Swedish 9th graders' smoking behavior, using academic orientation as an indicator of social position. Finds that students who have applied for non-theoretical programs in high school are more likely to smoke than those who have applied to theoretical programs. Findings pose implications for…

Tested the relationship between dieting frequency and risk of smoking initiation among middle school students. Data on students who completed a nutrition and physical activity intervention study indicated that girls who dieted up to once per week had twice the adjusted odds of becoming smokers. Girls who dieted more often had four times the…

Examines the function of substance use as an impression management tactic. Introductory psychology students (n=377) responded to a survey instrument measuring self-monitoring, perceived success in impression management, interaction anxiety, and self-esteem. Results suggest that alcohol use may serve an impression management function. (JPS)

Studied the smoking cessation attitudes and practices of 244 fourth-year dental students through a self-report survey. Students generally endorsed tobacco prevention practices, but perceived barriers to service provision. Findings show the receptivity of students to smoking cessation education and the need to include cessation counseling training…

Examined the relationship of tobacco knowledge and attitudes, degree of acculturation, and gender with tobacco use initiation among early adolescent Mexican Americans. Surveys of fifth graders indicated that lack of knowledge about tobacco and positive attitudes toward smoking were the most predictive of tobacco initiation. Initiation rates were…

Family physicians were randomly assigned either to a distance learning module (n=26) or preventive care guidelines (n=27) on smoking cessation. No differences appeared in knowledge or attitudes. The distance group had significantly greater change in self-rated competence, but the magnitude of change was not greater than that of the control group.…

Examined smoking behaviors and predictors from fifth through eighth grades by ethnicity, gender, and geographic location. Overall, Hispanic and white adolescents had a similar 30-day smoking prevalence. Predictor variables were powerful across different geographic regions. There were no differences in predictor variables between blacks, whites,…