5.11 Accessibility of tobacco products to young smokers

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5.1 Introduction

5.2 Stages in the uptake of smoking

5.3 Factors influencing uptake by young people—overview

5.4 Physiological aspects

5.5 Individual personality traits and psychiatric influences

5.6 Intentions, attitudes and beliefs

5.7 The home environment

5.8 The smoking behaviour of peers, and peer attitudes and norms

5.9 The educational environment: achievements, aspirations and 'school connectedness'

5.10 Other drug use

5.11 Accessibility of tobacco products to young smokers

5.12 Affordability of tobacco products

5.13 Opportunity to smoke

5.14 Cultural background

5.15 Tobacco advertising and promotion targeted at young people

5.16 Products and packaging created to appeal to new users

5.17 Factors influencing uptake of smoking later in life

5.18 Uptake—a concluding note

5.19 What is meant by prevention?

5.20 Approaches to youth smoking prevention

5.21 Mass media strategies/campaigns

5.22 Interactive technology and multimedia

5.23 School-based interventions

5.24 Peer influence and education

5.25 Parent/family/home targeted interventions

5.26 Reducing tobacco access and supply

5.27 Reducing product appeal

5.28 Promotion and visibility of tobacco

5.29 Denormalising smoking

5.30 Taxation and pricing of tobacco products

5.31 Harnessing predictors of uptake to prevent smoking

5.32 Preventing smoking in more 'at risk' groups

Acknowledgments

References

Adolescent access to cigarettes contributes to initiation of smoking.1, 4, 10, 44

There is some evidence that children of smokers are more likely to begin smoking at an early age, that they are most likely to procure their cigarettes from home (with or without parental knowledge), and that this group helps to 'seed' smoking among their peers.121 Whoever supplies their early cigarettes, once smoking is initiated young smokers adapt their means of access to fit the prevailing social and legislative environment.122

In 2005 most smokers aged between 12 and 17 obtained cigarettes from their friends.2 Although it is illegal to sell tobacco products to children under the age of 18 in all states and territories of Australia, overall, about one in four smokers aged between 12 and 17 had bought their last cigarette themselves, the likelihood of having made a personal purchase increasing with age, and with frequency of smoking behaviour. Other means of acquiring cigarettes include asking someone else to make the purchase on their behalf, followed by obtaining cigarettes from the home environment. About one quarter of current smokers bought single cigarettes. More than half of the teenagers who had bought a single cigarette, purchased it from a friend or relative. Thirteen percent of teenagers who had bought a single cigarette bought it directly from a shop.2 The National Drug Strategy Household Survey (2004) reports similar trends for how young people source cigarettes.3

For some young smokers, problems of availability and affordability of tobacco are at least in part ameliorated by use of unbranded, untaxed loose tobacco, commonly known as 'chop-chop.' Its illegal status makes it unlikely that those who sell it take care to check the age of those who buy it. The 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey3 shows that of young people aged 14–19, 38% were aware of chop-chop, and 6% had used it.

For discussion about prevention initiatives focused on tobacco access and supply, see Section 5.26.