Preventing Youth Access to Tobacco, edited by Leonard A. Jason and Steven B. Pokorny. New York: The Haworth Press, Inc; 2002. 101 pages, paperback $19.95 or hardcover $29.95.
Tobacco is a powerful addictive substance. According to Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy G. Thompson, smoking and smoking related diseases are the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing over 400,000 people each year. Approximately 22.9% of adult Americans and 13.8% of Americans under 18 smoke cigarettes. This rate is far too high, becoming an urgent public health initiative. Leonard A. Jason and Steve B. Pokorny have compiled a comprehensive review of data on Youth Access to Tobacco. "Preventing Youth Access to Tobacco" has been co-published simultaneously, in the Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, Volume 24, Number 1, 2002.
Preventing Youth Access to Tobacco is a research book; each section begins with a summary, followed by a literature review, method of design, results, and discussions. The charts are informative and easy to understand. The authors have blended the data in a manner that communities, primary educators, and secondary educators can begin to use this research to support public policy changes. It does lack a glossary of terms.
The research results discussed provide guidance in the areas of: how to decrease the rate of first time regular smoking habits in adolescents, assessing readiness to change at the community level, involvement of law enforcement, review of tobacco laws on the youth, and the many outcomes of illegal sales without identification or age checks. An important footnote: as school boards look at curriculums and possible elimination of programs, the research demonstrates that school-based tobacco education programs and peer education works.
The data presented in the section on "An Examination of Factors Influencing Illegal tobacco Sales to Minor," revealed that the strongest predictors were clerk's failure to ask a minor for age or identification. Answers to these questions are not answered in the text. Further research is indicated.
The breadth of the research data is summarized in the final section titled, "A Response to the Critiques of Tobacco Sales and Tobacco Possession Laws." It reveals several studies have found that tobacco control policies impact retail, and social sources can reduce the prevalence of youth smoking. Leading to a lower rate of smoking, compared to states without such strong policies, suggests communities work to empower change in illegal sales to youth.
Lastly, smoke free workplaces and anti-smoking campaigns have challenges. This data can assist to increase the health and wellbeing of community members.
Overall, the book is a valuable collection of data. The text does not give you a systematic approach to using the data to develop a program to diminish youth access to tobacco, but proper use of the research data is available for community leaders to use for supporting intense policy changes and program development.