Abstract
Cigarette smoking is of interest to the National Institute on Drug Abuse both because of 
the public health problems associated with this form of substance abuse and because this 
behavior represents a prototypic dependence process.  In the past few years the 
government has made every effort to reach the masses, in an attempt to curb the 
exploitation of tobbacco use, and its acceptance among Americas Youngsters.  However, 
cigarette smoking among adolescents is on the rise.
The premise that the behavior of adolescents is influenced by the behavior of their 
parents is central to many considerations of health and social behavior (Ausubel, 
Montemayor, & Svajiian, 1977; Bandura & Walters, 1963).  Many young people between 
10-18 years of age  experiment with smoking, smoking is a personal choice, and usually 
exploratory in nature.  Typically, it takes place in rather young people and is largely 
dependent on: first, the availability of opportunity to engage in the behavior, second, 
having a fairly high degree of curiosity about the effects of the behavior; third, in finding 
it a way of expressing either conformity to the behavior or others (such as parents, older 
siblings or peers), forth, as in "Miller and Dollar's" explanation of Observational 
Learning, The Copying behavior effect.
This research is to examine the effects of parental smoking (behavior), has, on the 
decision of teens to smoke cigarettes.  Due to prior studies using global measures that 
may or may not include South Eastern North Carolina.  The Fayetteville/Fort Bragg area 
was chosen for this study to pinpoint  the effects in this particular locale.  Fort Bragg and 
Pope Air Force Base have a very diverse socieo-economic and culturally diverse 
population, which will have a positive effect on randomness of sample selection. With 
this association in mind, this researcher is interested in knowing if there is a relationship 
of Parental influence on Teen Smoking within this Military Community.



 
Introduction
	The prevalence of cigarette smoking among young teenagers is a growing 
problem in the United States, many young people between the ages of 10-18 are 
experimenting with tobacco.  During the 1040's and 50's smoking was popular and 
socially acceptable.  Movie stars, sports heroes, and celebrities appeared in cigarette 
advertisements that promoted and heavily influenced teens.  Influence also came from 
Television and other media sources.  The desires to be accepted and to feel grown up are 
among the most common reasons to start smoking.  Yet, even though teenagers 
sometimes smoke to gain independence, and to be part of the crowd parental influence 
plays the strongest role as to whether or their children will smoke, Journal of American 
Medical Association (JAMA), 1991.  Children are exposed to and influenced by the 
parents, siblings, and the media long before peer pressure will become a factor. Mothers 
should not smoke during pregnancy, nicotine, which crosses the placental barrier, may 
affect the female fetus during an important period of development so as to predispose the 
brain to the addictive influence of nicotine.  Prenatal exposure to smoking has previously 
been linked with impairments in memory, learning, cognition, and perception in the 
growing child. (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 1995) Subsequent follow-up after 12 
years suggest that regardless of the amount or duration of current or past maternal 
smoking, the strongest correlation between maternal smoking and a daughter's smoking 
occurred when the mother smoked during pregnancy.  NIDA also reported that of 192 
mothers and their first born adolescents with a mean age of 12 1/2, the analysis revealed 
that 26.6% of the girls whose mother smoked while pregnant had smoked in the past 
year. 
The 1991 smoking prevalence estimate of 25.7% is virtually no different from the 
previous year's estimate of 25.5%.  If current trends persist, we will not meet one of the 
nation's health objectives, particularly a smoking prevalence of no more than 15% by the 
year 2000.  When comparing the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs, only 
cigarette use did not decline substantially among high school senior among 1981 to 1991.
In contrast studies performed by "household survey" by the NIDA and the CDC, (Centers 
for Disease Control) in 1991 and 92 respectively, suggested that the strongest influence 
on teenage smoking is parents.  Research also revealed that approximately three fourths 
of adult regular smokers smoke their first cigarette before the age of 18.  This data was 
acquired while trying to determine the brand preferences of young smokers to determine 
what encouraged them to smoke and to suggest smoking prevention or smoking cessation 
strategies, the studies found that in over 80% of the households surveyed, one or both 
parents smoked.  Many teenagers begin smoking to feel grow-up.  However, if they are 
still smoking when they reach 30, the reason is no longer to feel like an adult; at this 
point, they are smoking from habit.  Goodwin, D.  W., Guze, S.  B.  (1984).
Young children who see older children or family members smoking cigarettes are going 
to equate smoking with being grown up.  Patterns of both drinking and smoking, which 
are closely associated, are strongly influenced by the lifestyles of family members peers 
and by the environments in which they live.  Minimal, moderate, and heavy levels of 
drinking, smoking, and drug use, among family members are strongly associated with 
very similar patterns of use among adolescents.  Bentler, P., Newcoomb, M., (1989).  
Parents who smoke and wish they didn't should concentrate on their own efforts to stop 
and hope that their offspring get the message.
Another good view of smoking among young people can be obtained from the federal 
government's Annual National Survey of drug use among seniors, and now other high 
school students.  Reports of cigarette use in the past years have declined since the peak of 
almost 40% in 1975.  The 30% mark was crossed in 1981, with a very gradual further 
decline to 25.7% in 1991 and increased to 27.8% in 1992, Johnston, O'Malley, (1993).
According to cognitive social learning theory, boys and girls learn appropriate  behavior 
through reinforcement and modeling.  To date, numerous studies have examined parental 
influence on teenage smoking and has yielded equivocal results  Due to the implications 
of cigarette smoking behavior for the public health and the view that smoking is the 
prototypical dependence process.  Research taken from the TAPS (Teen-age Attitudes 
and practices Survey) 1992, reported that if parents smoke, their children are more likely 
to smoke.  In regions of the United States that was surveyed, it was documented that 
9135 of 11609 (79%), of the respondents to the survey of teenage smokers lived in 
households where one or both parents/guardians smoked tobacco.  This information was 
taken from household samples of adolescents ages 12-18 done by a computer Assisted 
Telephone interviewing system (CAT).  The goal of this research is to focus upon the 
systematic compilation of data collected in this survey/correlation study and serve as a 
basis for designing feasible and effective treatment strategies as well as enhance our 
understanding of dependence associated with cigarette smoking and substance abuse.

 
Method
Design
Questions will be of nominal and rating format (attached), Non respondents will not be 
included in the study. The questions (10), will be on a 8 1/2x 11 sheet of paper.  The 
questions will be divided into three categories, (health history of parents present smoking 
habits, and general.  The Dependent variable used in this study is adolescent smoking 
behavior. 
Subjects
A total of 500 teens male and female 14-18 years old, randomly selected from various 
areas around the Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, and Fayetteville area. $2 will be given 
in exchange for participation.
Materials
Questionnaires will be given to individuals upon their approval to participate in the 
study, a number two pencil will be used to write with.
Procedure
Participants will be chosen at random from either the Post Exchange and the movie 
theaters of the Fort Bragg area.  Participation will be voluntary after an explanation of the 
study.  Since this research involve minors, each participants will sign a release form.  
Each respondent will be allotted 15 minutes to complete the questionnaire, and not to 
discuss the contents with other participants.  However participants, will be told that they 
can discuss this issue with parents/guardians.  A phone number of the researcher will be 
given to each respondent in case of any afterthoughts.  Non respondents will not be 
included in the study. The questions (10), will be on a 8 1/2x 11 sheet of paper and 
consist of both, true/false, and nominal data, yes/no.  The questions will be divided into 
three categories, (health history of parents present smoking habits, and general.  chi-
square and t-distribution statistics will be used to identify significant differences between 
sub samples.
 
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Process.  National Institute on Drug Abuse.  23