What motivates smoking and alcohol drinking of young people? A behavioural epidemiologic study

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescence is a life period of trying harmful habits. It is helpful for prevention to map youth’s motivations. Aim: The main goal of the present study was to investigate high school students’ motivations related to alcohol and cigarette use. Method: A questionnaire survey was performed in Debrecen including students from four high schools (n = 501; age range, between 14 and 22 years; mean age, 16.4 years; 34% boys and 66% girls). Beyond descriptive statistics, logistic regression analysis was used to detect odds ratios explaining relationships between substance use and motivations. Results: Besides a slight difference in gender, there were significant differences by substance user status in the structure of motivations. In case of alcohol use, social motivation proved to be a predictor. In case of cigarette smoking, besides social motivation, boredom relief and affect regulation (coping) were also significant. Conclusions: These data suggest that young people start to smoke cigarette and drink alcohol in social situations due to peer pressure. Therefore, prevention strategies should be built on social skills training. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(3), 100–105.