Smoking and drinking among 15–16-year-old girls: do male peers have an influence?

Abstract

During adolescence, people tend to begin drinking alcohol and become involved in the culture that surrounds it. To compare the influence of peer relationships among females in mixed-sex schools versus single-sex schools on cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. A cross-sectional study was carried out in four schools. The information was collected by means of a questionnaire. Two hundred and forty-eight questionnaires were completed. Of those questioned in single-sex schools, 34% had smoked a cigarette compared with 61% in mixed-sex schools (p < 0.005). The lifetime prevalence of alcohol consumption in mixed-sex schools was 88% compared with 73% in single-sex schools (p < 0.005). This study suggests that females in mixed-sex schools have a tendency to have earlier exposure to smoking and alcohol consumption than girls of the same age in single-sex schools.