Young Americans Say Alcohol, Marijuana, Cigarettes & Lottery Tickets Are Easily Accessible.

One in three (33 percent) high-school aged young people say they have engaged in one of the following risky behaviors in the last 30 days: smoked cigarettes, used marijuana, drunk alcohol or gambled for money. Although purchase of cigarettes, alcohol, and lottery tickets by those under 18 is illegal, and purchase of marijuana by those of any age violates the law, most high-school aged youths (ages 14-17) believe they can purchase cigarettes (70 percent), alcohol (64 percent) and lottery tickets (59 percent) within five blocks of their homes and one third (36 percent) believe they can purchase marijuana within that distance, according to analyses released today at the Adolescent Risk Conference being held by the Institute for Adolescent Risk Communications at The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. (CLICK above on ‘More Images’ to see Table 1 for breakdown of laws, and Tables 2a-d for accessibility.)

Young people (ages 14-22) also are more likely to associate drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes or pot, or gambling with their ‘popular’ peers than their ‘unpopular’ ones. By contrast, owning a gun or using inhalants is more strongly associated with unpopular than popular peers (CLICK above on ‘More Images’ to see Chart 3 for perceptions of popularity).

“Young people believe that cigarettes, marijuana and alcohol are easily accessible and many also believe that the popular kids drink and smoke cigarettes or marijuana,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center “Since popular kids shape the norms that influence the attitudes and behaviors of those their age, this combination of popularity and accessibility is a dangerous mix.”

Almost three out of four young people (ages 14-22) believe that their popular peers are more likely to engage in at least one of the following risky behaviors: smoking cigarettes, using marijuana, drinking alcohol or gambling for money. Half believe their popular peers engage in at least two of the behaviors.

Perception of risk associated with the behavior has little impact on the perception of popularity of those thought to engage in the behavior. For example: Of those who think cigarette smoking is very risky to health, 39 percent think their popular peers are more likely to smoke than their unpopular peers, while almost the same percentage of those who think it is only a little or not at all risky (40 percent) also believe their popular peers are more likely to do it. Similar percentages of those who think marijuana use is very risky (41 percent) and those who think it is not risky at all (39 percent) believe popular peers are likely to engage in the behavior.

“Understanding that something poses a risk to health does little to deter young peoples’ perception that the popular kids are engaged in the activity,” said Dan Romer, Director of the Institute for Adolescent Risk Communications at the Annenberg Public Policy Center. “Campaigns that focus on raising young people’s awareness of the dangers of smoking and drinking may do little to diminish their core belief that engaging in these activities is associated with popularity.”

With a few key exceptions, male and female youth have similar perceptions of the popularity associated with risky behaviors. Female youth (44 percent) are more likely than males (35 percent) to associate smoking with popularity, and male youth (36.9 percent) are more likely than females (25.4 percent) to associate gambling with popularity.

Findings are from a national survey of youth ages 14 to 22 and are based on 900 respondents. The margin of error is + /- 3.3 percent for the entire sample. The margin of error for breakdowns by age is +/-4.8% and for gender is +/- 4.7%.

To view charts CLICK above ‘More Images’.

Copies of the full analysis are available by calling Lorie Slass at 202-879-6701.

The Institute for Adolescent Risk Communication

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