Smokeless tobacco use among adjudicated adolescents.

摘要

Tobacco use among adolescents has become a serious concern of healthcare professionals worldwide (WHO, 2002). While a large amount of resources have been allocated toward the investigation and prevention of cigarette smoking among adolescents, smokeless tobacco use among adolescents has not received the same amount of attention.; Quantitative studies have shown that adolescents who use smokeless tobacco are exposed to more chemicals and additives than are present in cigarettes, to an amount of nicotine per "dip" that is equivalent to smoking three cigarettes, to a potentially gateway effect to harder substance use, and to numerous diseases that develop undetected until the effects are to far along to reverse or treat completely (MFMER, 2003). While these studies surveyed adolescents regarding their use of smokeless tobacco, they neglected to allow the adolescents to express their personal perspective regarding smokeless tobacco. This grounded theory qualitative study was conducted to add to the existing body of smokeless tobacco research the personal perspective of adolescents by interviewing twenty adjudicated adolescents located at a residential facility in Northeastern Pennsylvania.; During the study six themes emerged. These themes showed that the adolescents interviewed found smokeless tobacco: easy to use, tasty, accessible, a good substitute for smoke tobacco, easy to conceal, and unknown in terms of health risks. Together these themes showed a desire among the adolescents for immediate gratification that influenced their use of smokeless tobacco indicating the need for specially designed smokeless tobacco awareness campaigns.