262330 Youth attitudes towards tobacco control policies: A qualitative study

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Tracey Borland, MSc , Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, Toronto, ON, Canada
Maritt Kirst, PhD , Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, Dalla Lana School of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Farzana Haji, MSc , Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Background: Limited in-depth research exists that captures youth attitudes towards tobacco control policies. Further, few studies address youth disparities in tobacco use. This is important as tobacco use is a socially patterned behaviour, whereby segments of the adult population experience higher rates of smoking than others. This study explores attitudes towards tobacco control policies among a sample of youth ‘at risk' of becoming adult tobacco users.

Methods: Five focus groups were conducted with youth and young adults (ages 11-29) (n=40) from an urban and a rural community in Ontario, Canada. A convenience sample was recruited through services for disadvantaged youth. Thematic analysis techniques were conducted to analyze focus group data to isolate themes with respect to a variety of policy interventions. Emerging themes were compared and contrasted based on age and other participant characteristics. A survey captured socio-demographic characteristics. Youth were also engaged in the research process.

Results: Older youth discussed the merits of ‘taking cigarettes off the shelf' in order to prevent youth from smoking, whereby younger youth discussed the importance of program and policy support during transitional phases (i.e., Jr. High to High School). Younger youth perceived marijuana to be a greater issue among their peers than tobacco. Results further compare and contrast participants' awareness and attitudes towards tobacco control policies under the following thematic areas: access and availability, advertising/promotions, smoke-free spaces and other tobacco products.

Conclusions: Understanding youth attitudes towards tobacco control policies is important to inform policy that addresses prevention of tobacco use and health inequalities.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss youth attitudes towards tobacco control policies from a health inequalities perspective

Keywords: Youth, Tobacco Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Maritt Kirst is an Assistant Professor at the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Dr. Kirst’s research focuses on the evaluation of tobacco control policies and other public health interventions, and social contextual effects on substance use and mental health outcomes.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4161.0: Youth & Vulnerable Populations