One exercise in the focus groups asked participants to pick a type of car or rock band (or both) that best represented a smoker. Participants did the same exercise in relation to non-smokers.

Smokers were associated with vehicles considered older, slower and uncool (Pinto, 70’s Dodge) or a semi-truck due to their large smoke stacks and the view that truckers smoke. Similarly, vehicles driven by people associated with smoking were mentioned: hippies (e.g., Volkswagen Bugs, vans), gangsters (Impala), bikers (Harley Davidson) or their own friends (variety). Some teens related smokers to luxurious, expensive cars (e.g., Cadillac, Ferrari, BMW) because they are high class, expensive, fast and high performance vehicles. Fewer teens picked a band to represent a smoker but of those that did, the bands reflected band members who smoke (e.g., Bob Marley, Nirvana) or bands denoting an attitude – "gangsta" (TuPac Shakur, Wu-Tang) or anti-authority (Marilyn Manson). As can be seen, these bands represent many different types of people from Rastafarian to grunge to gothic to rap.

When the same exercise was conducted for non-smokers, we found that teen smokers were more likely to choose luxurious, expensive or sporty cars to denote a non-smokers than they were for a smoker. Reasons for choosing these cars to represent a non-smoker are that classy people don’t smoke, if you saved the money you spend on cigarettes you might be able to afford a nice car, they wouldn’t smoke in that car if they owned it, and these cars can go fast. A second group of vehicles picked for non-smokers is associated with older people (Volvo), mothers (station wagon), families (mini-van), sporty people (bikes), and environmentally friendly people (electric golf cart). Another group of teens mentioned the names of vehicles driven by people they know who do not smoke and/or do not allow people to smoke in their car. A number of teens also picked bands to represent a non-smoker. A couple bands conveyed something clean, wholesome and beautiful (Oasis, Shania Twain). The majority of band images were "uncool:" annoying (Spice Girls), Christian (DC Talk), clean cut (Back Street Boys), geeks (Bee Gees), nerds (Weezer video), and childlike (Fred Penner).

In summary, it appears that teen smokers chose cars to denote older versions of smokers and non-smokers while bands were used to describe younger smokers and non-smokers. On the whole, using cars as the reference point, older non-smokers came out as classy or family-oriented and older smokers lower class or outdated. Conversely, using bands as the reference point younger smokers came across as cool with independent attitudes and non-smokers came across as goody-two-shoes or nerds.

Interestingly, when teens were asked in the focus groups if they thought they would still be smoking at 30 or 40, the majority quickly said "NO." They seem to view their habit of smoking as something they will do when they are young but will give up when they are older. It seems to be a less desirable activity for people in the later stages of life when family enters the picture. It is at this point they start to see themselves as role models for their own children and do not wish for their children to smoke. Quite a few teens said that they thought it was wrong that their own parents smoked in front of them or their siblings and that they would not do the same.