Teens And Smoking Essay, Research Paper

Teens and Smoking

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is of interest to the National Institute on Drug Abuse both

because of the public health problems associated with this form of substance

abuse and because this behavior represents a prototypic dependence process. In

the past few years the government has made every effort to reach the masses, in

an attempt to curb the exploitation of tobbacco use, and its acceptance among

Americas Youngsters. However, cigarette smoking among adolescents is on the

rise.

The premise that the behavior of adolescents is influenced by the behavior of

their parents is central to many considerations of health and social behavior

(Ausubel, Montemayor, & Svajiian, 1977; Bandura & Walters, 1963). Many young

people between 10-18 years of age experiment with smoking, smoking is a

personal choice, and usually exploratory in nature. Typically, it takes place

in rather young people and is largely dependent on: first, the availability of

opportunity to engage in the behavior, second, having a fairly high degree of

curiosity about the effects of the behavior; third, in finding it a way of

expressing either conformity to the behavior or others (such as parents, older

siblings or peers), forth, as in “Miller and Dollar’s” explanation of

Observational Learning, The Copying behavior effect.

This research is to examine the effects of parental smoking (behavior), has, on

the decision of teens to smoke cigarettes. Due to prior studies using global

measures that may or may not include South Eastern North Carolina. The

Fayetteville/Fort Bragg area was chosen for this study to pinpoint the effects

in this particular locale. Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base have a very

diverse socieo-economic and culturally diverse population, which will have a

positive effect on randomness of sample selection. With this association in

mind, this researcher is interested in knowing if there is a relationship of

Parental influence on Teen Smoking within this Military Community.

Introduction

The prevalence of cigarette smoking among young teenagers is a growing

problem in the United States, many young people between the ages of 10-18 are

experimenting with tobacco. During the 1040’s and 50’s smoking was popular and

socially acceptable. Movie stars, sports heroes, and celebrities appeared in

cigarette advertisements that promoted and heavily influenced teens. Influence

also came from Television and other media sources. The desires to be accepted

and to feel grown up are among the most common reasons to start smoking. Yet,

even though teenagers sometimes smoke to gain independence, and to be part of

the crowd parental influence plays the strongest role as to whether or their

children will smoke, Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), 1991.

Children are exposed to and influenced by the parents, siblings, and the media

long before peer pressure will become a factor. Mothers should not smoke during

pregnancy, nicotine, which crosses the placental barrier, may affect the female

fetus during an important period of development so as to predispose the brain

to the addictive influence of nicotine. Prenatal exposure to smoking has

previously been linked with impairments in memory, learning, cognition, and

perception in the growing child. (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 1995)

Subsequent follow-up after 12 years suggest that regardless of the amount or

duration of current or past maternal smoking, the strongest correlation between

maternal smoking and a daughter’s smoking occurred when the mother smoked

during pregnancy. NIDA also reported that of 192 mothers and their first born

adolescents with a mean age of 12 1/2, the analysis revealed that 26.6% of the

girls whose mother smoked while pregnant had smoked in the past year.

The 1991 smoking prevalence estimate of 25.7% is virtually no different from the

previous year’s estimate of 25.5%. If current trends persist, we will not meet

one of the nation’s health objectives, particularly a smoking prevalence of no

more than 15% by the year 2000. When comparing the use of alcohol, cigarettes,

and other drugs, only cigarette use did not decline substantially among high

school senior among 1981 to 1991. In contrast studies performed by “household

survey” by the NIDA and the CDC, (Centers for Disease Control) in 1991 and 92

respectively, suggested that the strongest influence on teenage smoking is

parents. Research also revealed that approximately three fourths of adult

regular smokers smoke their first cigarette before the age of 18. This data was

acquired while trying to determine the brand preferences of young smokers to

determine what encouraged them to smoke and to suggest smoking prevention or

smoking cessation strategies, the studies found that in over 80% of the

households surveyed, one or both parents smoked. Many teenagers begin smoking

to feel grow-up. However, if they are still smoking when they reach 30, the

reason is no longer to feel like an adult; at this point, they are smoking from

habit. Goodwin, D. W., Guze, S. B. (1984). Young children who see older

children or family members smoking cigarettes are going to equate smoking with

being grown up. Patterns of both drinking and smoking, which are closely

associated, are strongly influenced by the lifestyles of family members peers

and by the environments in which they live. Minimal, moderate, and heavy levels

of drinking, smoking, and drug use, among family members are strongly

associated with very similar patterns of use among adolescents. Bentler, P.,

Newcoomb, M., (1989). Parents who smoke and wish they didn’t should

concentrate on their own efforts to stop and hope that their offspring get the

message.

Another good view of smoking among young people can be obtained from the federal

government’s Annual National Survey of drug use among seniors, and now other

high school students. Reports of cigarette use in the past years have declined

since the peak of almost 40% in 1975. The 30% mark was crossed in 1981, with a

very gradual further decline to 25.7% in 1991 and increased to 27.8% in 1992,

Johnston, O’Malley, (1993). According to cognitive social learning theory, boys

and girls learn appropriate behavior through reinforcement and modeling. To

date, numerous studies have examined parental influence on teenage smoking and

has yielded equivocal results Due to the implications of cigarette smoking

behavior for the public health and the view that smoking is the prototypical

dependence process. Research taken from the TAPS (Teen-age Attitudes and

practices Survey) 1992, reported that if parents smoke, their children are more

likely to smoke. In regions of the United States that was surveyed, it was

documented that 9135 of 11609 (79%), of the respondents to the survey of

teenage smokers lived in households where one or both parents/guardians smoked

tobacco. This information was taken from household samples of adolescents ages

12-18 done by a computer Assisted Telephone interviewing system (CAT). The

goal of this research is to focus upon the systematic compilation of data

collected in this survey/correlation study and serve as a basis for designing

feasible and effective treatment strategies as well as enhance our

understanding of dependence associated with cigarette smoking and substance

abuse.

Method Design

Questions will be of nominal and rating format (attached), Non respondents will

not be included in the study. The questions (10), will be on a 8 1/2x 11 sheet

of paper. The questions will be divided into three categories, (health history

of parents present smoking habits, and general. The Dependent variable used in

this study is adolescent smoking behavior.

Subjects

A total of 500 teens male and female 14-18 years old, randomly selected from

various areas around the Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, and Fayetteville area.

$2 will be given in exchange for participation.

Materials

Questionnaires will be given to individuals upon their approval to participate

in the study, a number two pencil will be used to write with.

Procedure

Participants will be chosen at random from either the Post Exchange and the

movie theaters of the Fort Bragg area. Participation will be voluntary after an

explanation of the study. Since this research involve minors, each

participants will sign a release form. Each respondent will be allotted 15

minutes to complete the questionnaire, and not to discuss the contents with

other participants. However participants, will be told that they can discuss

this issue with parents/guardians. A phone number of the researcher will be

given to each respondent in case of any afterthoughts. Non respondents will not

be included in the study. The questions (10), will be on a 8 1/2x 11 sheet of

paper and consist of both, true/false, and nominal data, yes/no. The questions

will be divided into three categories, (health history of parents present

smoking habits, and general. chi-square and t-distribution statistics will be

used to identify significant differences between sub samples.

References

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Effect of parental smoking classification on the association between parental

and adolescent smoking. Addictive-behaviors, 15,(5), 413-422.

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Hu, F. B. Flak, B. R., Hedeker, D. (1995). The inlfence of friends

and parental smoking on adolescent smoking behavior. Journal of Applied Social

Psychology, v4 (3), 215-225.

Jessor, R. (1993). Successful adolescent development among high-risk

settings, American Psychologist, 48, 117-126.

Johnston, L., O’Malley, P., Bachman, J. (1988). Drug use among

American high school students, College students and other young adults.

National trends through 1991. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Research Monograph Series, (1979). Cigarette Smoking as a dependence

Process. National Institute on Drug Abuse. 23

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