Carmen P. Obando¹, Ilene S. Speizer, PhD², Brian N. Smith, PhD³, Donna McClish, PhD⁴, Samy Uguy, PhD³, and Elizabeth A. Fries, PhD³. (1) Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 612 N. Lombardy St., Office 202, Richmond, VA 23220, 804 8271108, cpobando@mail1.vcu.edu, (2) Preventive Medicine and Community Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980212, Richmond, VA 23298, (3) Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 808 W. Franklin St., P.O. Box 842018, Richmond, VA 23284-2018, (4) Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Po Box 980032, Richmond, VA 23298-0032

Social sources including peers and family are important ways youth obtain cigarettes. Youth who perceive cigarettes easy to get are more likely to be smokers than youth who perceive difficulties obtaining cigarettes. To date, little is known about which youth perceive cigarettes easy to get from social sources. Using baseline data from 6,982 6th-8th grade in-school youth, we examine correlates of perceived cigarette access at home and school. The main correlates of interest are tobacco in the household, (parent and sibling use), peer use, and parents’ opinions. Separate models are run for home and school access. Models control for grade and gender and are stratified by smoking status. Perceived access at home and school increase by grade and are associated with smoking intentions for all grades and gender. Among 6th grade youth, 16% perceive cigarettes easy to get at home, and 4% at school. By 8th grade, 26% perceive cigarettes easy to get at home and 24% at school. Perceived access at home does not correlate with parents’ opinion on tobacco use nor with parent smoking, however, it does correlate with sibling smoking. Perceived access at school is associated with peer use. Greater perceived access at home and school among 8th graders reflects that they are more likely to smoke or intend to smoke and to have more siblings and peers who smoke than 6th graders. This study shows a need to address the role of siblings and peers as social sources of cigarettes for youth.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify social sources for cigarette access among youth, differentiating by age group.

Keywords: Tobacco, Adolescents

Related Web page: www.tobaccoevaluation.vcu.edu

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Youth Tobacco Evaluation Project Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.