University students' perceptions of tobacco, cocaine, and homicide fatalities
1Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, The University of Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Abstract:
A questionnaire was given to 350 students in introductory-level and 46 students in senior-level university courses to determine how accurately students are able to estimate the annual number of deaths in the United States from tobacco use, cocaine use, and homicide. Results show that students dramatically overestimate the number of cocaine-related deaths and homicides, but dramatically underestimate the number of tobacco-related deaths. The data indicate that students generally have a poor grasp in both absolute and relative terms of the dangers inherent in tobacco use. Results are attributed to the mixed message young people receive about tobacco, with tobacco ads countering the effects of government health warnings, in contrast to the media's consistent emphasis on the dangers of illegal drugs and crime.
Related Concept Videos
Hypothesis Test for Test of Independence
H0: The two variables (factors)...
Drug Dependence
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Stimulants
Cocaine can be administered via snorting, injection, or smoking. It primarily functions by blocking the reuptake of dopamine, resulting in a euphoric high characterized by an intense sensation of happiness and...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV


