Abstract
Background
Understanding the different ways underage youth access tobacco is required in order to develop more effective tobacco access restrictions. The purpose of this study was to examine characteristics that predict whether underage smoking youth buy their own cigarettes, buy their cigarettes from friends, or get someone else to buy their cigarettes.
Methods
Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the predictors of three different tobacco access behaviours among 737 occasional smoking and 2,050 regular smoking youth.
Results
Most smoking youth were asked their age less than half of the time when trying to buy cigarettes. Occasional smokers usually buy their cigarettes from a friend (59.5%) and the majority of regular smokers usually buy their own cigarettes (59.8%). Occasional smokers were less likely to buy their own cigarettes (OR 0.85) and more likely to ask someone else to buy their cigarettes (OR 1.24) the more frequently they were asked their age on purchase attempts. Regular smokers were also less likely to buy their own cigarettes (OR 0.70) and more likely to buy their cigarettes from someone else (OR 1.51) or a friend (OR 1.18) the more frequently they were asked their age on purchase attempts.
Interpretation
Point-of-sale restrictions are insufficient to prevent youth from acquiring cigarettes because youth commonly access cigarettes from social sources. A more comprehensive approach for restricting access is required that targets both underage youth and individuals who purchase tobacco for underage youth.
MeSH terms: Smoking, adolescent
Résumé
Contexte
Pour établir des mesures de restriction efficaces, il est essentiel de déterminer comment les mineurs se procurent des cigarettes. La présente étude visait à examiner les caractéristiques prédictives des modes d’accès aux cigarettes des mineurs, soit par l’achat direct, auprès d’amis ou par la sollicitation des services d’une autre personne.
Méthodes
On a réalisé des analyses de régression logistiques pour examiner les variables prédictives des trois différents modes d’accès au tabac à l’égard de 737 mineurs, qui fument à l’occasion, et 2 050 mineurs qui fument chaque jour.
Résultats
On constate que moins d’une fois sur deux, les points de vente de cigarettes demandent l’âge des mineurs qui tentent de se procurer du tabac. Les fumeurs occasionnels achètent leurs cigarettes auprès d’amis (59,5 %) et la plupart des fumeurs réguliers achètent eux-mêmes leurs cigarettes (59,8 %). Les fumeurs occasionnels étaient moins susceptibles d’acheter eux-mêmes leurs cigarettes (RC 0,85) et ils étaient davantage susceptibles de demander à une autre personne de leur en acheter (RC 1,24) si on leur demandait souvent leur âge lors de tentatives d’achat de cigarettes. Les fumeurs réguliers étaient également moins susceptibles d’acheter eux-mêmes leurs cigarettes (RC 0,70) et davantage susceptibles de demander à une autre personne (RC 1,51) ou à un ami (RC 1,18) de les acheter à leur place si on leur demandait souvent leur âge lors de tentatives d’achat de cigarettes.
Interprétation
Les mesures restrictives aux points d’accès ne suffisent pas à empêcher les mineurs d’acheter des cigarettes parce qu’ils peuvent s’en procurer auprès de leur réseau social. Il faut donc adopter une approche globale pour limiter l’accès, une approche qui ciblera tant les mineurs que les personnes qui achètent des cigarettes pour les mineurs.
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