Agenda Packets - 1989/12/04 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Current Source Of Cigarettes • While friends were initially the primary source of cigarettes, this is not the case beyond the first phase of smoking. The most frequently used source of cigarettes is to purchase them. Nearly three-quarters of reported that they bought cigarettes more often than tthe teens (72%) hey used other methods of obtaining cigarettes. Furthermore, there was little variation on this measure between males and females. However, the older teens were more likely than the younger ones to buy cigarettes frequently (60% of 13 Year olds vs.c cigarettes. s. 17 year olds). And, very few of the 17 year olds (5%) never buy cigarettes. While friends are not the primarily source of cigarettes once teens have established their smoking habit, they are an important secondary source. Almost half of the teens (45%) rely on friends occasionally for cigarettes. Friends are of particular importance to the younger teens. Almost four out Of five 13 year olds (79%) go to their friends often or occasionally for cigarettes, • Family members are not a significant source of cigarettes for teens regardless of their age. Cigarette Purchasing Behavior • Frequent Purchasers, those who buy cigarettes often or occasionally, rely much more on over-the-counter sources than on vending machines. Almost two-thirds of the Frequent Purchasers (64%) buy over-the-counter often whereas only one in eleven (9%) buys from a vending machine often. Over-the-counter sources are used more by the older teens than by the younger teens. Over three-quarters of the 17 year olds (78%) buy over- the-counter frequently whereas only half (46%) of the 13 year olds do. • Those who purchase over-the-counter often or occasionally cited four locations as the ones they go to most frequently: convenience stores (43%), gas stations (29%), grocery stores (11%) and drug stores (6%). As mentioned, less than one in eleven Frequent Purchaser uses a vending machine often. In fact, over three-quarters of the Frequent Purchasers (78%) seldom or never buy from a vending machine. Of course, this varies by age. The 13 year olds are the most likely to use vending machines (22% do so often) and the 17 year olds are the least likely (2% do so often). The primary location of the vending machines used by teens is a restaurant or other eating establishment. Almost half (47%) of those who buy from a 3