Smoking Adolescents' Acquisition of Cigarettes and Status of Proof of Age

Kim, Hee Ra; Kim, Ji Young; Lee, Gee Hyung; Choung, Ji Tae; Park, Sang Hee

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study is to identify where and how adolescents acquire cigarettes and how many were asked for identification while purchasing cigarettes.
METHODS
This study was conducted in 2003; participants were 2,200 students in middle and high schools, aged from 13 to 18 years old(males 1,098; females 1,102) in Ansan, Korea. The questionnaire assured them of anonymity, and self-administered in school. The data was analyzed with chi- square test for trends.
RESULTS
The prevalence of smoking was about 20 percent among respondents, was higher in males than in females, and in older students than in younger students(P<0.001). The most frequent source of cigarettes was purchased from a store(36.3 percent). About 29.2 percent of the students borrowed from friends or family members. By sex, the main sources of cigarettes were purchase from a store and borrowing. Younger students were borrowed more cigarettes; older students purchased more cigarettes from stores. Only 48.8 percent were asked for proof of age during their purchase. Of those asked for proof of age, about 73.3 percent answered that this made it difficult to buy cigarettes(P< 0.001), and they thought that it was more difficult when asked for a photo ID than simply being asked their age(P=0.019).
CONCLUSION
So far, there has been no systemic prevention of adolescents' smoking. It is difficult for minors to purchase cigarettes if asked for proof of age, but most minors go to stores to purchase cigarettes. Therefore, prevention efforts should include educating retailers not to sell cigarettes to minors and enforcing existing laws requiring youth to provide proof of age when attempting to buy cigarettes.