Tilleczek, Kate C

Hine, Donald William

2006

This investigation describes what smoking means to adolescents, and attempts to better understand it as a rite of passage. Applying a social ontology to an often-individualized issue, interviews were conducted with 20 adolescent smokers between the ages of 13 and 19. Results show that adolescents possess detailed information about the risks of smoking. Both age and gender differentiated the meanings of smoking which were found to be both positive and negative. Valence inconsistency increased with age. Results are interpreted within a cultural, developmental framework and suggest reconstructing smoking risks as potentially positive. Implications for research and prevention are discussed.

Journal of Adolescence, 29(2), p. 273-287

1095-9254

0140-1971

https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/4337

en

Elsevier Ltd

The meaning of smoking as health and social risk in adolescence

Journal Article

Publication