Many studies stress the relevance of peer group influence as a determinant of smoking behavior of adolescents. Recent research, however, concludes that homogeneity of behavior in friendships is also due to selection; youngsters choose new friends whose behavioral patterns are similar to their own. Data from a three-wave longitudinal study among students of secondary education (N = 1,063) was used to examine sources of peer similarities. The results demonstrated that both influence and selection processes contributed to peer group homogeneity, but the largest part of similarities in smoking status had to be attributed to selection. No support was found for friendships breaking down for reasons of dissimilarity in smoking status. Our findings underscore the complexity of processes and interactions with regard to the relationships of teenagers and offer new views on prevention programs.

Many studies have dealt with the relative impact of parents and peers on adolescent substance use. However, only a few studies have explored the role of adolescents themselves in social relationships. Homogeneity in behavioral patterns within friendships can also be generated by selective association. Acknowledgment of selection processes might shed new light on the debate on the influences of parents and friends. This paper examines the impact of parental and best friends' smoking and drinking on adolescents' use, using data (N = 1,063) from a 3-wave, 5-year longitudinal study.The results show that friends' smoking did not affect adolescent smoking over time. Only in early adolescence did friends' drinking exert an influence on subjects' alcohol use. On the other hand, parental use had a small but significant impact on their offspring. Furthermore, support was found for processes of selective association.

No abstract

Within the European Community (EC) drinking patterns in the southern countries can be characterised by daily consumption of wine at meals, and in the northern countries by less frequent consumption of beer outside meals. Yet, as in past decades in the southern countries beer consumption and in the northern countries wine consumption strongly increased, the question is whether the distinction in drinking patterns still applies. This paper (1) describes for each country of the EC total alcohol consumption, (2) examines the frequency and the context of consumption of the new beverage type and (3) analyses whether subpopulations, defined by sex, age and educational level, differ in the adoption of the new beverage type. In all countries wine is consumed more often at meals compared to beer. Older people consume wine in greater numbers and more frequently than younger people, who consume beer in greater numbers. People of higher educational level consume the new beverage type more often compared to people of lower educational level, who consume the traditional beverage type more frequently. Finally, males and females differ less in the frequency of consumption of the new beverage type than in the frequency of the traditional beverage type.

No abstract