On-screen smoking in movies linked to young adult smoking behavior
A new study has demonstrated for the first time a strong association between exposure to smoking in movies and smoking initiation or becoming a regular smoker among young adults ages 18 to 25. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco examined data from a web-based survey of 1,528 young adults and identified new smokers and established smokers. The survey also asked participants to identify all movies they had seen out of a list of 60, released during 2000 to 2004, which enabled the researchers to place each participant into a quartile of exposure. Primary results suggest a dose-response relationship between the amount of exposure to smoking in movies and smoking behavior. Young adults who viewed the most smoking were 77 percent more likely to have smoked at least once in the last 30 days and 86 percent more likely to be regular, established smokers. Click here to read more about the study, which is published in the November issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

First puff can turn kids into smokers: Study
A recent study provides evidence that if a first puff of a cigarette results in a feeling of relaxation, a child will be more likely to become addicted to nicotine. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School studied the smoking habits of 217 sixth-graders from 2002 to 2006. In addition to collecting information about the characteristics of tobacco dependence, such as cravings and the inability to quit, the researchers also determined participants’ personality characteristics, beliefs about smoking, and characteristics of their social environment. They found that a feeling of relaxation after the first drag of a cigarette was the most important predictor of becoming dependent on tobacco and being unable to quit smoking. Approximately 29 percent of participants experienced this sense of relaxation, and of these children, 67 percent became dependent on tobacco compared to just 29 percent of participants who did not experience relaxation after the first puff. Click here to read more about the study, which is published in the October issue of Pediatrics.

UGA study: Youth exposed to smokeless tobacco ads despite settlement
A recent study provides evidence that despite a 1998 settlement with tobacco companies, young people are still being exposed to smokeless tobacco advertisements. Similar to the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), the Smokeless Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (STMSA) includes stipulations about marketing smokeless products to youth. In order to assess compliance with this agreement as well as youth exposure, researchers analyzed readership and advertising data for magazines used by smokeless advertisers during a ten year period from 1993 to 2002. They found similar levels of exposure at the beginning (66%) and end of the study period (64%). Additionally, exposure rose dramatically in the first year after STMSA implementation to 84%, dropped to 57% in 2000, rising again in the last two years of the study. Click here to read more about the study, which is published in the online edition of the American Journal of Public Health.

State anti-tobacco advertising and smoking outcomes by gender and race/ethnicity
A recent study has examined the relationship between exposure to state-sponsored anti-tobacco television advertisements and smoking outcomes among U.S. middle and high school students. Researchers merged data from 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students from 1999 to 2003 with ratings of potential audience exposure to television anti-tobacco advertisements from a number of the largest market areas in the United States. Primary results indicate that higher potential for exposure to anti-tobacco advertisements sponsored by the state was associated with a lower likelihood of smoking for all groups. Exposure was also related to weaker perceptions that the majority of one’s friends smoked, stronger plans to not be a smoker five years in the future, and increased perceptions of harm related to smoking. Click here to view the abstract of the study, which was published in the September issue of Ethnicity and Health.

New report: Teen cigarette smoking linked to brain damage, alcohol and illegal drug use, mental illness
A new report released by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) provides additional convincing evidence of the association between teen smoking and alcohol and illegal drug use and mental illness. The report includes the results data analyses from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Some of the primary results indicate that 12- to 17-year old smokers are five times more likely to drink alcohol and 13 times more likely to use marijuana than non-smokers of the same age. The report also indicates that among 12- to 17-year olds, twice as many smokers experienced symptoms of depression in the last year compared to non-smokers. Click here to read more.

Retailers following teen tobacco laws
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the average national percentage of retailers caught selling tobacco products to minors has fallen to 10.9 percent. This rate is the lowest it has been since tobacco sale sting operations commenced ten years ago. For the first time in the program’s history, every state reported violation rates of fewer than 20 percent. Arkansas, Mississippi and Delaware boasted the lowest violation rates, while Kansas, Massachusetts and Oregon reported the highest. Click here to read more.

The smoke is small, but not the risk
A recent report released by the Baltimore Health Department indicates that almost one-quarter of 18 to 24 year-old African Americans smoke Black & Mild cigars. Found at nearly every convenience store in the city, Black & Milds are taxed at a lower rate, can be sold individually, and tend to carry fewer health warnings. Although Black and Milds are regulated like cigars, they are much less expensive and contain less tobacco. Moreover, Baltimore health officials believe that many young people are unaware of the serious health risks of smoking these cigars, and smoke them like cigarettes. Click here to read more.

A day in the life of American adolescents: Substance use facts
A new report released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) highlights the substance abuse behaviors that U.S. adolescents engage in on an average day. The report uses data from national surveys to make estimates regarding illicit drug use, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption, among other behaviors. Primary results related to tobacco use indicate that on an average day in 2006, 4,000 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 smoked cigarettes for the first time. Click here to read more.

Tobacco-Free Kids applauds Tyra Banks for exposing the ugly truth about smoking
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids congratulates Tyra Banks for speaking out against smoking on her show entitled America’s Next Top Model. The show’s season premiere featured a photo shoot that highlighted the negative effects of smoking on health and appearance. Banks also asked contestants to refrain from smoking on the show and try to quit the habit altogether, as millions of young girls look to the show to define beauty. Click here to read more.

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