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Factors Associated With Youth Tobacco Product Use

Kami Davis

Factors associated with youth tobacco product use include the following:

  • Social and physical environments
    • The way mass media show tobacco product use as a normal activity can make young people want to try these products.
    • Youth are more likely to use tobacco products if they see people their age using these products.
    • High school athletes are more likely to use smokeless tobacco than those of the same age who are not athletes.
    • Young people may be more likely to use tobacco products if a parent uses these products.
  • Biological and genetic factors
    • There is evidence that youth may be sensitive to nicotine and that teens can feel dependent on nicotine sooner than adults.
    • Genetic factors may make quitting smoking harder for young people.
    • Smoking during pregnancy may increase the likelihood that the child will smoke cigarettes regularly in the future.
  • Mental health: There is a strong relationship between youth smoking and depression, anxiety, and stress.
  • Personal views: When young people expect positive things from smoking, such as coping with stress better or losing weight, they are more likely to smoke.
  • Other influences that affect youth tobacco use include:
    • Lower socioeconomic status, including lower income or education
    • Not knowing how to say “no” to tobacco product use
    • Lack of support or involvement from parents
    • Accessibility, availability, and price of tobacco products
    • Doing poorly in school
    • Low self-image or self-esteem
    • Seeing tobacco product advertising in stores, on television, the Internet, in movies, or in magazines and newspapers

Reducing Youth Tobacco Product Use

National, state, and local program activities have been shown to reduce and prevent youth tobacco product use when implemented together. These activities include:

  • Higher costs for tobacco products (for example, through increased taxes)
  • Prohibiting smoking in indoor areas of workplaces and public places
  • Raising the minimum age of sale for tobacco products to 21 years
  • TV and radio commercials, posters, and other media messages aimed at kids and teens in order to counter tobacco product ads
  • Community programs and school and college policies that encourage tobacco-free places and lifestyles
  • Community programs that lower tobacco advertising, promotions, and help make tobacco products less easily available

Some social and environmental factors are related to lower smoking levels among youth. Among these are:

  • Being part of a religious group or tradition
  • Racial/ethnic pride and strong racial identity
  • Higher academic achievement

It is important to keep working to prevent and reduce the use of all forms of tobacco product use among youth.

References

  1. Flavored Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students—United States, 2014U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2019 Feb 28].
  2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2012 [accessed 2019 Feb 28].
  3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Reducing Tobacco Use: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2000 [accessed 2019 Feb 28].
  4. Centes for Disease Control and Prevention. Combustible and Smokeless Tobacco Use Among High School Athletes—United States, 2001–2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2015;64(34):935–9 [accessed 2019 Feb 28].
  5. Gentze AS, Glover-Kudon R, Tynan M, Jamal A. Adults’ attitudes toward raising the minimum age of sale for tobacco products to 21 years, United States, 2014-2017. Prev Med. 2020 Feb 3;133:106012. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106012. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32027916.
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs—2014. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2019 Feb 28].