Cigarette smoking by adolescent females: implications for health and behavior.

Cigarette smoking rates among teenage females have risen progressively since 1968 until surpassing teenage males in 1979. Psychosocial factors underlying the initiation of smoking include peer pressure, adult role modeling and prosmoking messages in advertising, with smoking potentially representing a desired set of personality characteristics. Regular smoking leads to the development of a dependence process, with cessation often difficult to achieve and maintain. Preventing smoking onset is a responsibility of health professionals and educators. Social psychological approaches teaching social skills and techniques for resisting smoking have been effective in reducing rates of initiation in JHS experimental programs.