ir emphases and social contexts, the research studies will be examined individually:
A. Peer influence versus parental involvement and effects on adolescent drug use
In their study, Olds and Thombs (2001) compared the significance of peer behavior and parental involvement with regards to their effects on cigarette and alcohol use among adolescents from grades seven to 12. The hypothesis of this study is that young teenagers who engage in cigarette and alcohol use are more likely to be affected by insufficient parental involvement. In contrast, older teenagers are more likely to be influenced by their peers in their decision to use cigarettes and alcohol (p. 224).
By using questionnaires, Olds and Thombs (2001) obtained responses about the cigarette and alcohol use of the teen participants. The study indicated that most students, regardless of the grade level, engaged in cigarette and alcohol use in order to imitate their close friends and "fit in" with the typical student population (Olds & Tho
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