Young people, money and access to tobacco

Grace Wong, Marewa Glover, Vili Nosa, Becky Freeman, Janine Paynter, Robert

Scragg

Introduction

• New Zealand school students continue to buy cigarettes from commercial and social sources despite strong legal disincentives (Darling et al, 2005; DiFranza & Coleman, (2001)

• Parents of Maori, Pacific Island, European and Asian children (8-15 years) were confident their children did not use pocket money to buy cigarettes (Wong et al, 2007)

• However young people self-report buying cigarettes

• Cigarette purchase and smoking by young people are associated with disposable income (Darling et al, 2006; Scragg et al, 2003; Ariza-Cardenal & Nebot-Adell, 2002)

• The social and family processes involved in children’s sources and use of money in relation to buying cigarettes are not well understood

• Our study used a qualitative design to investigate how students access cigarettes with a special focus on their disposable income

Method

• Maori, Pacific Island, Asian or European students aged 11-15 years were recruited through three schools

• Twelve ethnic specific focus group interviews were run by ethnically matched senior student facilitators and researchers

• Male and female Year 10 students were interviewed separately; male and female Year 8 and 9 students were interviewed together

• Discussion was focused on sources of money, parental monitoring and student access to

cigarettes

• The interviews were taped and transcribed

• Transcripts were combined under the subject areas in the interview schedule

• The research team worked together to identify new subject areas, commonalities and differences across the ethnic groups

Results

Maori 18

Pacific Island 26

Asian 17

Pakeha/European 20

Total 81

Ever smoker 29

Current smoker 15

Participant demographics

There were few differences across the four ethnic groups, age groups and gender

Therefore results were integrated and highlighted as they occurred

Money and children

• Students received money from parents, family, employment, friends, scabbing, bullying, stealing

• Money was given to students (pocket money, for “doing well’, expenses, to keep out of the way) earned, shared, borrowed

• Supply was mainly intermittent and variable

• The amount ranged from no pocket money to $500.00 gifts

What participants did with their money

• “save some, spend some”

• Saved small amounts until they had enough to buy something that they wanted

• Spent money on food, outings, clothing, DVDs, phone top-ups, presents, alcohol, “smokes”

Parental expectations

• Children should save some of their money

• Money should be spent “wisely”

• Parents should know how children spend and save large amounts of money in particular

Participants’ experiences and expectations

• Parents – monitored students’ management of large amounts of

money – were less aware how small amounts were spent

• Participants – thought that parental guidance about money could be

useful– felt they should have the final say about how they

spent or saved their money

Youth access to cigarettes

• Free cigarettes from family, other adults, friends

• Bought cigarettes– commercial sources – social sources

• $1.00 per tailor-made “tammie”• 50 cents per roll-your-own “rollie”• “combos” eg three cigarettes for $2.00

• Shared cigarettes with friends

• Stolen cigarettes

• IOUs

• Reciprocity

Summary Cost and an erratic supply of money were not barriers to

accessing cigarettes since participants:

– borrowed or saved small amounts of money which they were relatively free to spend

– cigarettes were cheap (social sources)

– retailers sell cigarettes to children under 18

– cigarettes were shared or stolen

– adults would give cigarettes to students

Adults, family members and retailers must be discouraged from supplying cigarettes to children

Parents could be made aware of the way children use small amounts of money and advised to monitor, educate and guide them to discourage cigarette purchase

Acknowledgements

• Thanks to the staff and students at the participating schools