1. Teens & Smoking Summer 2011Survey

2. Acknowledgements We would like to extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude to: Kevin Peña Darnell Farrell Christina Smoot Brandon Long Summer youth teens who participated in this investigation.

3. Mary’s Center’s Smoking Cessation Program, with the invaluable assistance of 4 Summer Youth Employment Teens conducted a survey during the month of July among 51 participants at our Georgia Ave Clinic’s waiting room. The pool of participants were 30 years old and younger. The goal of this project is to help in the development of a youth-focused and youth-specific messaging to prevent and support smoking cessation among adolescents.

4. The number of women and men interviewed was similar Male25 Female26 TOTAL51

5. Yes34 No17 TOTAL51

6. Family15 Friends22 Classmates8 Others3

7. A third of those surveyed begun to smoke between 8 to 12 years old. The youngest participants we have had come forth in our program was 15 years old. We need to develop prevention activities before they start smoking. 8-12 yrs15 13-16 yrs26 17 yrs or older10 TOTAL 51

8. Being part of a group, such as a clique, classroom, club, etc.provides benefits of acceptance and friendship. Substance use is one factor about which friends and groups of adolescents tend to come to agreement, leading to group homogeneity (Kandel 1978). Habit17 Stress18 Peer pressure12 Other3

9. Almost half of those surveyed reported “ To be healthy” as motivation to quit smoking. We need to explore further what it means “to be healthy” further since 67% of those surveyed were smokers. To be healthy24 Odor8 Social pressure14 Family3

10. Lung Cancer30 Allergic diseases11 Second hand6 Death4

11. Developed by: Jose Majano, Smoking Cessation Program Educator Alis Marachelian, Health Promotion Director