The relationship of cognitive and behavioral skills to adolescent tobacco smoking.

This study examined an assumption held by many smoking prevention programs that social skills can affect the onset of tobacco smoking. Data from 129 sixth graders were used to predict smoking behavior 15 months later in seventh grade. Five skill variables emerged as the best predictors of future smoking. By analyzing discriminant scores based on individual levels of social skills, the investigators were able to accurately classify 80% of the students surveyed as smokers or nonsmokers. Measures of social skills accounted for 29% of the variation in adolescent smoking behavior.