The second set of columns in Table 3 presents the results that compare the heavy smokers to the nonsmokers. The odds that a girl would be a heavy smoker (compared to a nonsmoker) were
significantly higher if she were older, as her school bonding decreased, school performance decreased, academic aspirations decreased, parents’ expectations for academic achievement
decreased, parents’ involvement in school decreased, involvement with friends who were well bonded to school decreased, and if she associated with friends who had dropped out of school.
Although all covariates are robust predictors of heavy smoking, involvement with friends who had dropped out of school is particularly strong. The odds of being a heavy smoker were 6.3
times higher if a girl associated with high school dropouts.