Snell has identified several sociodemographic, environmental,
behavioral, and personal factors in adolescents that correlate with a
heightened risk of developing into a smoker. Low socioeconomic
status increases the probabilities that a young person will have a
positive attitude towards smoking and then begin smoking.
Adolescents transitioning between elementary and high school are also
at an increased risk for beginning to smoke. Easy availability of
cigarettes, having at least one older sibling who smokes, and receivingsocial reinforcement for smoking are all environmental factors that
increase the probability of children developing into regular smokers
(Snell 2005).