Investigating race, gender, and access to cigarettes in an adolescent population

To examine race and gender as potential predictors for access to cigarettes and purchasing behaviors among an adolescent population.

Data were collected from a survey administered to 4336 high school students. The significance was examined using the chi-square test, with a P-value ≤.05.

Noncommercial outlets were the primary source of cigarette acquisition for white students; African American students were more likely than white students to use commercial sources to acquire cigarettes; females were more likely to report not being asked to show proof of age.

Interventions designed to reduce youth access to tobacco must address racial and gender differences.