Teen smoking behavior and the regulatory environment

Professor Hersch argues that most state regulations aimed at fighting teen smoking have had little or no effect. She provides evidence that despite widespread age restrictions on purchasing tobacco, most teens do not consider it difficult for minors to purchase tobacco products within their community. She also presents evidence demonstrating a strong correlation between smoking rates and perceptions about the addictive nature of smoking. These findings suggest that facilitating greater awareness of the addictive power of cigarettes could be effective in curbing teen smoking. She explores the potential for parental restrictions on limiting teen smoking, but provides indications that parents are not well informed about their children's smoking behavior. Finally, she examines the recent FDA regulations, which, she says, are merely a continuation of the traditional methods of attacking adolescent smoking, and are unlikely to have a significant effect.