Home smoking restrictions and adolescent smoking

Abstract

The prevention of adolescent smoking has focused on peer influences to the relative neglect of parental influences. Parents socialize their children about many behaviors including smoking, and parental rules about their child's smoking have been related to lower levels of adolescent smoking. Moreover, among adults, indoor smoking restrictions have been associated with decreased smoking. Accordingly, the current study tested the relation of adolescent smoking to home smoking policy (rules regulating where adults are allowed to smoke in the home). Results showed that restrictive home smoking policies were associated with lower likelihood of trying smoking for both middle and high school students. However, for high school students this relation was restricted to homes with non-smoking parents. Home smoking policies were not associated with current regular smoking for either middle or high school students. Home smoking policies may be useful in preventing adolescent smoking experimentation, although longitudinal and experimental research is necessary to confirm this hypothesis.