The Indirect Influence of Tobacco Advertising on Smoking Susceptibility: A Case of Teenagers from Hispanic Communities

In the context of Hispanic teen smoking, this study examined the influence of pro-tobacco advertising and smoking warnings on teens from Hispanic communities. Analyzing data of two strata that had the highest percentage of urban (N = 1206) and non-urban (N = 385) Hispanic teenagers aged 13-17 from the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey, we found that pro-tobacco advertising indirectly influenced teens’ smoking susceptibility through their perceived peer access to tobacco products, perceived peer smoking prevalence, attitudes toward smoking, and perceived danger of tobacco products. However, results showed no direct impact of smoking warnings on teens’ smoking attitudes or on their perceptions of danger of tobacco products. Implications for policymakers and antismoking campaign designers were discussed.