Attitudes Toward Anti-tobacco Policy Among California Youth: Associations with Smoking Status, Psychosocial Variables and Advocacy Actions
Document Type
Article
Department
Community and Global Health (CGU)
Publication Date
12-1999
Disciplines
Environmental Policy | Health Policy | Mental and Social Health | Public Health Education and Promotion | Substance Abuse and Addiction
Abstract
To prevent smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, California has implemented anti-tobacco policies, including laws restricting youth access to tobacco, and smoking bans in workplaces, schools, restaurants and bars. Although studies have examined adults' attitudes toward anti-tobacco policies, little is known about adolescents' awareness of and support for these policies. This study examined attitudes toward anti-tobacco policies in a sample of 6887 10th grade California adolescents. Awareness of anti-tobacco policies was highest among current smokers and lowest among susceptible never-smokers. Support for anti-tobacco policies was highest among non-susceptible never-smokers and lowest among current smokers. Policy awareness and support were significantly associated with psychosocial tobacco-related variables (e.g. perceived consequences of smoking, friends' smoking, perceived access to cigarettes, prevalence estimates of smoking among peers, cigarette offers and cigarette refusal self-efficacy). Policy awareness and support were associated with the probability of performing advocacy actions against tobacco use. Although these results cannot prove a causal association, they suggest that adolescents' attitudes toward anti-tobacco policies may play a role in their decisions about smoking. Tobacco control and education programs should include information about existing anti-tobacco policies, and should educate youth about the importance and benefits of anti-tobacco policies.
Rights Information
© 1999 Oxford University Press
DOI
10.1093/her/14.6.751
Recommended Citation
Unger, J.B., Rohrbach, L.A. Cruz, T.B., Chen, X., & Johnson, C.A. Attitudes toward anti-tobacco policy among California youth: Associations with smoking status, psychosocial variables, and advocacy actions. Health Educ Res, 14(6), 751-763, 1999.
