Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · May 2000
Comparative StudySociocultural variables in youth access to tobacco: replication 5 years later.
A prior study presented the only systematic investigation of the role of sociocultural variables in youth access to tobacco. White, black, and Latino girls and boys attempted to purchase cigarettes in the same 72 stores at the same time of day. Results revealed significantly greater sales to girls than to boys and to minorities than to whites. Before concluding that sociocultural variables must be addressed in merchant intervention programs designed to reduce youth access to tobacco, this study must be replicated, particularly in light of the significant decreases in youth access in the past 5 years. This article presents that replication. ⋯ Multiple sociocultural variables affect youth access to tobacco when access rates are high, but only youth ethnicity plays a role when access rates are low. Merchant interventions designed to reduce youth access to tobacco must address ethnic issues.