Where public school students in Illinois get cigarettes and alcohol: Characteristics of minors who use different sources

The current study examined demographic, behavior, belief, and social influence characteristics of adolescents who use various means to get cigarettes and alcohol. Spring 1998 survey participants were 7,302 6th, 8th, and 10th grade public school students from throughout Illinois, who self-identified as tobacco smokers and/or alcohol drinkers. The sample was not random, but closely matched the demographic composition of the state. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the effect of each independent variable on each of the cigarette sources and each of the alcohol sources. For both cigarettes and alcohol, adolescents used commercial sources far less than they did social sources such as family and friends. Also, older adolescents and those who are heavier and more entrenched smokers or drinkers were more likely to use both commercial and social sources. Other factors related to use of various sources included beliefs, social influences, and environmental influences. These findings have many implications for intervention, especially by parents and policymakers, and suggest an increased emphasis on social sources adolescents use to obtain cigarettes and alcohol.