High School Public Opinion Poll Summary
Glenn County Office of Education
Friday Night Live Student Tobacco Education Program
January 2015
Prepared by:
Alliance for Community
Research and Development (ACRD)
936 W 18th St.
Merced, CA 95340
Project Contact:
Kristi Olivares, Ph.D.
(209) 724-0973
[email protected]
Made possible by funds received from the Tobacco Tax Health Protection Act of 1988 –
Proposition 99, through California Department of Public Health, Tobacco Control Program,
Contract number 10-10203, Contract term: 07/01/14 – 6/30/16.
Glenn Public Intercept Survey Interview Summary (1-E-3)
Objective
By June 30, 2016, at least one of three jurisdictions in Glenn County will adopt tobacco
retail licensing (TRL) that includes electronic nicotine delivery devices (ENDDs) and that
earmarks a portion of the license fees to conduct tobacco retail compliance checks at least
twice per year.
Evaluation Activity Results
Public Intercept Surveys were used to collect data on high school students’ knowledge
and opinions of how youth access and obtain tobacco products in Glenn County. Seventy-two
participants completed the Public Intercept Survey at various locations between July and
December 2014. Participant ages varied from 12-13 years (4%) to 17-18 years (47%), with 3%
(N=2) 14-15 years, 35% (N=25) 15-16 years, and 11% (N=8) 16-17 years. Fifty-one percent
(N=37) described themselves as Mexican, Latino, or Hispanic, while 46% (N=33) identified as
Caucasian/White. Participants also identified themselves as American Indian or Alaskan Native
(8%), Pacific Islander (1%), Asian (8%), and African American or Black (6%).
Forty-two (N=30) of students live with someone who uses some type of tobacco product.
More than half of participants’ (65%) parents or guardians have not talked to them about not
using tobacco products, not even once, recently. Only 36% (N=26) said their parents or
guardians had talked to them about not using tobacco products in the past 12 months. When
asked how smokeless tobacco products, dissolvable tobacco products, vaping or hookah tobacco
products or e-cigarettes compares to traditional cigarette products, 21% (N=15) said they are less
harmful, 10% (N=7) said more harmful, 29% (N=21) said equally harmful, and 38% (N=27) said
they did not know.
While 39% (N=28) reported never trying any tobacco product, 61% (N=41) of
participants have tried smoking cigarettes, e-cigs, or hookah pens at some point in their life.
More specifically, 47% (N=34) have smoked a hookah or waterpipe, 26% (N=19) have tried rollyour-own cigarettes, 25% (1N=8) have tried chew or smoke-less tobacco, 22% (N=16) have
smoked electronic cigarettes, 8% (N=6) have smoked clove cigarettes (Kreteks), 8% (N=6) have
tried snus, 7% (N=5) have tried bidis, 4% (N=3) have tried dissolvable tobacco products (e.g.
Ariva, Stonewall, Camel Orbs, Sticks or Stripes), and 18% (N=13) have used some other tobacco
product not listed. When asked if any of the tobacco, hookah, or vape products were flavored to
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Glenn Public Intercept Survey Interview Summary (1-E-3)
taste like menthol (mint), clove, spice, alcohol, candy, fruit, chocolate, soda, or sweets, 36%
(N=26) said yes.
Sixty-one percent (N=44) of respondents reported that they did not smoke or use any
tobacco products or devices in the past 30 days. However, less than 20% of teens reported using
some type of tobacco product or device in the past 30 days, with 17% (N=12) smoking
traditional cigarettes with or without filter recently, 8% (N=6) using hookah or vape device, 6%
(N=4) smoking cigarillos, and 8% (N=6) using smoke-less tobacco products like chew or snuff.
When asked how easy it is for kids their age to buy tobacco products in a store, 31% (N=22) said
it is easy, 50% (N=36) said it is somewhat easy, and 19% (N=14) reported that it is not easy at
all. Of those who tried to purchase tobacco products in the past 30 days, 45% (N=9) experienced
someone refuse to sell them cigarettes or tobacco because of their age with 55% (N=11) did not
get refused.
Although the majority of participants do not get or use any tobacco products (57%), there
were a variety of ways that some students reported getting their own cigarettes, e-cigs, vapes,
hookahs or smoke-less tobacco. Of those who get or use tobacco products, the majority of them
have someone else buy the product for them (65%), while others buy the product themselves
(13%), take the product from the store (8%), take the product from someone they know (e.g.
parents, friends, family, etc.) (8%), or get it some other way (4%). With respect to tobacco
advertising, 65% (N=47) of participants said that when they go into convenience stores,
supermarkets, or gas stations, they see cigarette and tobacco product ads or promotions always or
most of the time. Sixteen percent (N=12) said they sometimes see these types of ads or
promotions, and 4% (N=3) said they rarely see them.
After conducting this Public Intercept Survey, it is recommended that Glenn’s Office of
Education Friday Night Live Student Tobacco Education Program (STEP) engages these high
school students in a deeper discussion focusing on youth access to tobacco products. Further,
providing additional information to parents/guardians and students on the harmful effects of
tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, smokeless, dissolvable, vaping, or hookah tobacco
products is recommended. In addition, it would be beneficial to encourage local high school
students and their parents/guardians to become involved and more aware of Glenn’s Office of
Education Friday Night Live STEP objective to adopt a retail license for tobacco, including
electronic cigarettes. Continuing to participate in health events and remaining visible to the
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Glenn Public Intercept Survey Interview Summary (1-E-3)
Willows area will also help recruit more support for the objective and Friday Night Live Glenn
STEP program.
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