Agenda Packets - 1989/12/04 - Laserfiche WebLink

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FINDINGS STUDY OF TEENAGE CIGARETTE, SMOKING AND PURCHASING BEHAVIOR June/July 1989 introduction This study was conducted to determine how and where teenagers who smoke currently obtain their cigarettes. More specifically, this study was done to measure the following: the extent to which teenagers obtain cigarettes by purchasing them, and the portion of the cigarette purchasing that is done through vending machines. Methodology This was a mall intercept study which surveyed 1015 males and females between the ages of 13 and 17 who smoke cigarettes. The number of teens interviewed from each age group mirrored the 1987 Census Data of the teenage population. Additionally, half of the interviews were conducted with females and half were conducted with males. In order to obtain a geographically dispersed sample of teens, the study was conducted in twenty cities throughout the U.S. Two different mall locations were used in each city. One mall was located in an average to above average income area and the other was in an average to below average area. This was done to get the best possible representation of different socioeconomic areas. Overall Findings This study found that vending machines are not a primary source of cigarettes for teenagers. When teens first start smoking, they rely heavily on their friends for cigarettes. After this initial phase, the main source of cigarettes for teens is an over-the-counter location.