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July 25th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda TUESDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) — Black teens living in public
housing communities are more than twice as likely to smoke as their peers
in other U.S. communities, researchers have found.
The findings, published in the August issue of Addictive
Behaviors, suggest that early interventions are needed to prevent
young people in these communities from lighting up.
“Compared to their same-aged peers, youth living in public housing were
more likely to use tobacco and have positive attitudes about using
tobacco,” researcher Mansoo Yu, an assistant professor of social work and
public health in the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences, said in a
University of Missouri news release.
“As previous research suggests, early use of tobacco increases
individuals’ chances of using more serious drugs later. In addition, early
drug use is related to other serious problems, such as delinquent
behaviors, and family and social problems,” Yu added.
In conducting the study, Yu and colleagues from the University of
Illinois at Chicago, Boston College and the University of South Carolina
asked 518 black teenagers living in public housing in three large U.S.
cities about their attitudes on tobacco use, symptoms of depression and
delinquent behaviors.
The study authors found that these teens were 2.3 times more likely to
use tobacco than other black teens. The investigators pointed out that
teens living in public housing may be more afraid, have poorer social
relationships and more psychological strain, which could contribute to the
higher rates of smoking.
“Smoking cessation programs for young African-Americans living in
public housing communities should focus on reversing their positive
attitudes toward tobacco use,” Yu said in the news release. “In addition,
programs should help address the youths’ depressive symptoms and keep them
from getting involved in delinquent behaviors.”
The researchers added that smoking prevention programs in public
housing communities should target young children.
“Early interventions are critical for these individuals since the
likelihood of being exposed to risky behaviors dramatically increases as
the children age,” explained Yu. “In public housing communities,
adolescents may have easier access to drugs and social activities where
drugs are used.”
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about young people and tobacco use.
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