Study of Adolescents Who Provide Tobacco to Other Adolescents in a Racial/Ethnic Diverse Population

Abstract

This study examined the sources of tobacco and the adolescent provision of tobacco to other adolescents in an ethnically/racially diverse, large heterogeneous urban, adolescent population in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A stratified multistage purposive sampling procedure was used to select an ethnically/racially diverse sample, which consisted of 569 students in grades 8-10 in five public and nonpublic funded schools. A logistical regression analysis was used to examine potential predictor variables of adolescent provision of tobacco to other adolescents. Social sources of tobacco were more common than commercial. Gas stations/convenience stores, grocery stores, recreational/sports centers, and pharmacies were the most reported commercial sources. Among adolescent smokers, 46% of smokers gave tobacco to another adolescent. Tobacco was sold (32.2%) and given as a gift (67.8%). Positive correlates of adolescent provision included family availability, best friends and father smoked, purchased cigarettes in the last 30 days, and ownership of tobacco brand merchandise.