Questioning the construct of \u27susceptibility\u27 in the causal link between tobacco industry promotion and adolescent smoking

Abstract

The first article to report on a causal connection between tobacco industry promotion and adolescent smoking (Pierce et al. 1998) had, and continues to have, a significant influence on the marketing of cigarettes in many parts of the world. A key construct in determining causality was the ability to identify the respondents&rsquo; &ldquo;susceptibility to smoke&rdquo;. Through an analysis of the questions, and reanalysis of the original data used by Pierce et al. (1998), it is shown that the construct is flawed, and needs revision before a causal link can be claimed with the original data.<br /