Posted on: 22.09.2021 Posted by: impacteen Comments: 0
(Last Updated On: 07.04.2023)

ImpacTeen Research Papers

Do Restrictions on Smoking at Home, at School, and in Public Places Influence Teenage Smoking?
Wakefield MA, Chaloupka FJ, Kaufman NJ, Orleans CT, Barker DC, and Ruel EE.

Objectives – To determine the relationship between extent of restrictions on smoking at home, at school and in public places, and smoking uptake, smoking prevalence and monthly cigarette consumption by school students. Design – Cross-sectional survey with merged records of extent of restriction on smoking in public places. Setting – United States. Participants – 17,287 high school students. Main outcome measures – Five-point scale of smoking uptake; 30-day smoking prevalence; monthly cigarette consumption among current smokers. Results – More restrictive arrangements on smoking at home were associated with a greater likelihood of being in an earlier stage of smoking uptake (p<.05), lower 30-day prevalence (p<.001) and reduced monthly cigarette consumption (p<.001). These findings applied even where parents were smokers. More pervasive restrictions on smoking public places were associated with a higher probability of being in a earlier stage of smoking uptake (p<.05), lower 30-day prevalence (p<.05), but not reduced consumption. School smoking bans were only related to a greater likelihood of being in an earlier stage of smoking uptake (p<.05), lower prevalence (p<.001) and reduced consumption (p<.006), when the ban was strongly enforced, as measured by instances when teenagers perceived that most or all students obeyed the rule. Conclusions – These findings suggest that restrictions on smoking at home, more extensive bans on smoking in public places and enforced bans on smoking at school may reduce teenage smoking.

Research Paper (PDF – 164KB)

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