Smoking experimentation and initiation among adolescent girls: qualitative and quantitative findings

Nichter, Mimi; Vuckovic, Nancy; Quintero, Gilbert; Ritenbaugh, Cheryl

doi:10.1136/tc.6.4.285

Cited by 142 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Our findings indicate that most people did not experience classical peer pressure when they first took ecstasy, but that Ecstasy-using friends did play a major or minor role in their decision to take the drug. Normative influence thus appears to be more significant here than direct or overt influence, which is in accordance with qualitative literature about smoking initiation (Nichter, Nichter, Vuckovic, Quintero, and Ritenbaugh, 1997;Stewart-Knox et al, 2005). Peer selection seems very uncommon at the stage of initiation.…”

Section: Conclusion and Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

The Role of Peers in the Initiation and Continuation of Ecstasy Use

Vervaeke

Deursen

Korf

2008

Substance Use & Misuse

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This study is a supplement to the Netherlands XTC Toxicity Study (NeXT), funded by grants from the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development as part of its Addiction Programme. To better understand the processes of peer influence and peer selection, in a field study 106 Ecstasy users (67M/39F, average age 25.4 years) were interviewed face-to-face in Amsterdam in 2005. In the initiation of Ecstasy use, peer influence emerged as the dominating mechanism; peer selection was uncommon. In the continuation of Ecstasy use, peer influence and peer selection occurred reciprocally in a dynamic process, although peer influence made a greater relative contribution. Our study confirms that peer influence is a multidimensional process: influence was quite often reciprocal (with respondents both exerting and undergoing influence) and it could have both restraining and encouraging effects on ecstasy use. The study's limitations are noted.

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Section: Conclusion and Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

The Role of Peers in the Initiation and Continuation of Ecstasy Use

Vervaeke

Deursen

Korf

2008

Substance Use & Misuse

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“…The importance attributed to relaxation motives is echoed in findings by Dozois et al (1995) and Nichter, Nichter, Vuckovic, Quintero, and Ritenbaugh (1997), who similarly found that smoking to relax and stress reduction were commonly reported motives among adolescent smoking initiates. Recent studies by Johnson et al (2003Johnson et al ( , 2005) also point to the significant endorsement of emotional reinforcement motives, as a large proportion of adolescent smokers attributed their smoking to its ability to facilitate affect regulation.…”

Section: Do Adolescents Smoke To Regulate Affect?mentioning

confidence: 95%

The acute effects of nicotine on positive and negative affect in adolescent smokers.

Kassel

Evatt

Greenstein

et al. 2007

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

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Although adolescent cigarette smoking remains a critical public health concern, little is known about the reinforcing mechanisms governing smoking in this vulnerable population. To assess predictions derived from both positive and negative reinforcement models of drug use, the authors measured the acute effects of nicotine, as administered via tobacco cigarettes, on both positive and negative affect in a group of 15-to 18-year-old smokers. A matched group of nonsmokers served as a comparison group. Findings revealed that whereas adolescents who smoked a cigarette experienced reductions in both positive and negative affect, the observed reductions in negative affect were moderated by nicotine content of the cigarette (high yield vs. denicotinized), level of nicotine dependence, level of baseline craving, and smoking expectancies pertinent to negative affect regulation. Nonsmokers experienced no change in affect over the 10-min assessment period, and no interaction effects were observed for positive affect. Overall, the findings conform to a negative reinforcement model of nicotine effects and strongly suggest that, even among young light smokers, nicotine dependence and resultant withdrawal symptomatology may serve as motivating factors governing smoking behavior.

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“…Nichter and others [8] argue that teenagers feel that they should smoke if others around them smoke. Youths smoke to be socially acceptable, "fit in," and to facilitate social interaction [9].…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%