Can Pocket Money Curb Youth Smoking

25% high school students in America smoke. Another 8% of them consume smokeless tobacco products. There is a direct and simple association between early age smoking and quitting smoking. It is next to impossible to quit smoking for early age smokers. 30% of youth smokers die early because of smoking related diseases. These statistics are according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This article tries to understand whether planned pocket money can curb youth smoking.

Knowledge Gained from Research on Youth smoking and Pocket money:

• The research was conducted at the Department of Community Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
• The researchers intended to establish a relation between smoking in youth and the pocket money they had every week.
• 14793 girls and 14577 boys aged 14-15 years were given questionaires to fill in a national level survey.

Results of the survey are tabulated as follows:

Pocket Money per Month	Risks for Smoking:Girls	Risks for Smoking:Boys
More than $30	1.73	1.57
Between $21-$30	1.48	1.32
Between $11-$20	1.15	1.11

• The supposed nexus between smoking in youth and pocket money was apparent from the data.

Pocket Money and Youth Smoking: The three most preferred brands of cigarettes among the American Youth are Marlboro, Newport and Camel. These brands are found to be popular in 78% middle school students and 87% of high school students. The statistics are according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey dated February 2009. The average prices of these brands are as follows:

Parents can plan the pocket money allocated to their young children keeping these statistics in perspective. The economic constraint can compel the youth to spent their pocket money wisely and act as a deterrent against smoking.