Chapter 4 
appears to have been some sort of social climate change, such that cigarette 
smoking does not appear to be as socially acceptable among African- 
Americans; there are certainly some reports of grassroots involvement at 
the church and other levels. 
There also appears to be a differential concern about the potential 
weight-controlling effects of cigarettes, with African-American youth being 
less obsessed with slimness than white youth. 
It is a very intriguing phenomenon and one that we have examined in 
detail. 
DR. FREEMAN: Is this reflected in the 18- to 24-year-old group? 
DR. GIOVINO: The prevalence trends have definitely translated into the 
18- to 24-year-old age group, and even in the 25 to 29 age group. African- 
Americans start smoking about a year later in life, but the differences we 
are seeing are not enough, and we are definitely seeing translation into the 
young adult population. 
DR. STITZER: One more question on the youth. Your data seem to 
contradict the popular wisdom that youth begin with light cigarettes. 
I wondered if there were any data suggesting that they do play some role 
in initiation or original experimental use? 
DR. GIOVINO: Some of that dogma, if I understand it right, is that it might 
have influenced young girls starting because they were less irritating, and 
that seems to be part of the scenario. Young girls are more likely to have 
used the lights or the ultralights, to the extent that the cross-sectional data 
can tell us exactly. 
I find myself thinking this, and again, this is hypothesis generation: 
You see a lot more ads for regular cigarettes than you do for light cigarettes, 
especially if you think about Marlboros, Camels, Newports, etc. Regardless 
of the reason, it is possible that they start on the regulars, that the thought 
of quitting occurs to them, they have difficulty quitting and the thought is, 
"Well, I have got to do something here, so maybe I will switch." It is a 
hypothesis. 
DR. KOZLOWSKI: A number of years ago, Fred Silverstein, Scott Feldon, and 
I published a paper in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior on the role of 
low-yield cigarettes and the recruitment to smoking, particularly in women, 
we found, in a school sample. 
And you have to think that there were some young women who were 
particularly sensitive to the effects of smoking. Not all were. In other words, 
a small percentage of the market were under great social pressure to take up 
smoking, and the low-yield cigarette, smoked without vent blocking and so 
on, provided a nice trial-sized dose. So, it helped some people, but it was not 
across the board. 
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