The effects on children of participating in studies of minors' access to tobacco

Background Ethical concerns about the effect on children of participating in studies of miners' access to tobacco are frequently raised by human subjects' committees but have not been assessed empirically. Data on the effects of such participation on the smoking-related behavior of minors are needed. Method. Forty-eight children were screened and selected in 1993 to participate in a study of miners' access to tobacco, All 48 attended tobacco-education workshops, none were smokers, and all denied an intention to smoke in the future. Thirty-six of them were (randomly) assigned to the experimental group who made 2,567 purchase attempts (PAs) between 1993 and 1994, and 11 were assigned to a control group who made no PAs. Two years after screening (1 year after completion of the study) all were sent a follow-up questionnaire assessing current intentions to smoke and other smoking-related behaviors. Results. Miners who made PAs were significantly less likely than those who did blot to indicate an intention to smoke in the future; only 12.5% of experimental vs 71.4% of control group miners intended to (or might) smoke in the future. Miners who made PAs also wore significantly more likely than those who had trot to discuss smoking with peers and to encourage peers and family to quit smoking or to avoid initiating smoking. In 2,567 PAs, miners were never physically threatened, touched, or harmed, and they were treated with verbal hostility in only 73 (2.8%) of their PAs. Conclusions. These findings suggest that participating in a study of miners' access to tobacco does not increase smoking or intentions to smoke among the miners. Rather, such participation may be associated with low intentions to smoke and with increased tobacco control efforts on the part of the miners. The effects of participating in such studies may be positive for the miners, their families, and their peers. Participating in such studies does not place miners at risk far physical harm, and their risk for verbal abuse is low. (C) 1997 Academic Press.