Youth Prevention

Research

Multiple factors impact adolescent smoking risk
A Canadian study has found that there is no one single risk factor for teenagers taking up smoking. Researchers suggest taking into account “individual-level factors such as age, self-esteem, alcohol use, and academic success.” Other factors include parents and friends who smoke and school smoking policies. The study also found that adolescents who felt stressed, acted impulsively, and showed susceptibility to tobacco advertising were more likely to begin smoking. To read more about the study’s findings, click here. Click here to read the abstract of the study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Community youth program curbs risky behaviors
A new study has found that a community-based prevention program called Communities that Care (CTC) has curbed delinquent behavior among middle school students in 24 towns around the country. The program targets schools, families, and youth-focused programs to reduce the consumption of alcohol, cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco. The study found that in areas where CTC was not implemented, students were 79% more likely to start smoking cigarettes and 134% more likely to start using smokeless tobacco between seventh and eighth grade. To read more about the study’s findings, click here. Click here for an abstract of the study which appeared in the September issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

What works to prevent adolescent smoking? A systematic review of the National Cancer Institute's Research-Tested Intervention Programs
While schools may seem like an ideal venue for youth anti-smoking programs, school-based programs have not demonstrated long-term success in preventing youth tobacco use. A recent study sought to identify key attributes of programs deemed to be successful short-term Research-Tested Intervention Programs (RTIPs) by the National Cancer Institute. To improve chances of success, the researchers recommend that school-based programs target certain specific high-risk demographic groups, use professional health educators and/or trained community members, and build in methods of updating material. Click here to read the abstract of the article, which was published in the Journal of School Health.

Tobacco industry lifestyle magazines targeted to young adults
Researchers reviewed tobacco industry documents and conducted a content analysis of tobacco industry-produced lifestyle magazines to understand the industry’s motives for producing these magazines. The analysis showed that the lifestyle magazines could encourage tobacco use without using overt smoking imagery. For example, Unlimited, a lifestyle magazine distributed by Philip Morris, included few images of smoking, but featured Marlboro brand identity in both articles and advertising. The researchers note that because the tobacco industry continues to use similar marketing strategies in branded websites, a ban on brand-promoting print and electronic media could help prevent smoking among young adults. The study was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Read the abstract here.

Many college athletes reject cigarettes but smoke hookah, Pitt study finds
An analysis of National College Health Assessment data collected in 2008 showed that college athletes who participate in intramural or club sports are more likely to smoke from a hookah than non-athletes. College athletes of all types were less likely to use cigarettes than non-athletes, which is consistent with findings from previous studies. The researchers note that hookah smoking may appeal to demographic groups that are traditionally considered to be at low risk for tobacco use. They speculate that this may be because hookah use is perceived as safer than cigarette smoking. Click here to read more. Click here to read the abstract of the article in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

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Reports

Smoking rate decreases among Montana youth (MT)
Data from the Centers for Disease Control's 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) show that tobacco use among Montana teens is declining. Fifty percent of Montana youth had ever tried smoking cigarettes. This statistic reflects a 2% decrease since 2007, the last time the survey was performed, and a 20% decrease over the last decade. Read more here. Click here to read a data summary comparing health risks among smokers versus non-smokers. Click here to read the full report.

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International

Young smokers choosing contraband cigarettes (Canada)
A report published in September in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests that the availability of untaxed contraband cigarettes has undermined efforts to prevent smoking among Canadian youth. Contraband cigarettes purchased from First Nations reservations accounted for 17.5% of cigarettes smoked by adolescent daily smokers in Canada, and nearly 25% in Ontario and Quebec, where contraband cigarettes are most accessible. Youths who smoked contraband cigarettes tended to be heavier smokers, consuming an average of 16.8 cigarettes per day, compared to an average of 11.9 cigarettes among other youth who were smokers. Because raising the cost of tobacco products is known to be an effective strategy for preventing youth from smoking, these findings indicate that policymakers could reduce youth smoking by taking steps to prevent contraband tobacco sales. Click here for more details, or click here to read the full article in CMAJ.

Shops 'flout cigarette sales law' (UK)
One fifth of retailers in England sell cigarettes to minors, according to a year-long study in which teenagers visited over 4,000 stores to try to purchase cigarettes without proof of age. The Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors), the body which oversees the work of trading standards officers across the UK, said the level of fines imposed on offending shopkeepers is not high enough to discourage retailers from selling to youths. The Association of Convenience Stores disputes the accuracy of the report, asserting that the majority of retailers do not sell tobacco to minors. Read more here, or click here to read the full report from Lacors and the Department of Health.

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