Correlates of cigarette smoking among juvenile inmates in Taiwan

Objective: This study examined the correlates of cigarette smoking among juvenile inmates. Method: Data were collected through a census survey for juvenile inmates in the correctional institutions anonymously using a self-administered questionnaire in group settings, and the survey was directed by our interviewers in 2007. A total of 1,363 juvenile inmates were recruited in the survey and the response rate was 90.6%. Results: Roughly 87.9% of the subjects had initiated a smoking habit before this imprisonment, and 78.0% of the subjects had by then smoked over 100 cigarettes. The first three leading reasons of their initial smoking experience were curiosity (53.8%), stress reduction (14.5%), and peer influence (13.5%). The prevalence of ever used illicit drugs was 42.2%. Among these, 93.3% had a smoking habit before initiating illicit drug use. The mean age of smoking initiation (12.9±2.03) was about 1.5 years earlier than the mean age of illegal drug use behavior (14.4±1.7). About 40.2% of the subjects agreed with the statement that “smoking is the gateway drug of illicit drug use.” Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that male (OR=2.31, 95%CI=1.32-4.04), those having a drinking habit (OR=14.21, 95%CI=8.36-24.16), those with all or most significant others were smokers (OR=4.43, 95%CI=2.36-8.31), and those with some significant others were smokers (OR=2.79, 95%CI=1.46-5.30) were more likely to smoke compared to their counterparts, after controlling for subjects' age, level of education, and having exercise habits. Conclusions: Cigarette smoking is associated with illicit drug use behaviors among juvenile inmates.