We can see that the differences between females of different racial/ethnic groups (with regards to the onset of smoking) are great. The reasons that account for this may be seen in the social and cultural differences between the groups. To better understand this, the main socio-cultural risk factors must be analyzed. Then it must be understood how the risk factors fit into the main racial groups: Caucasian, Latino, African-American, Asian-American, and, to a lesser extent, American-Indian.
             A few of the main risk factors for smoking are economics, family and peers, availability, and demographic factors. For females, advertising and social opinions on smoking are also notable influences. The entertainment industry also reaches the youth – through music, movies, and television. These risk factors affect all of the racial groups, albeit in different (either positive or negative) ways. Whites have the highest prevalence of smoking (39.7%). For females, the risk factors have been studied and pinpointed at advertising and the media. Young white women seek acceptance and beauty at standards that are not seen in the other ethnic groups. Teenage girls are shown that beauty is thin, tall, proportional. Women also seek to be independent and strong. All these standards are preyed upon by tobacco advertisers, who portray women who smoke in this light. The media also encourage white women to smoke when they see that the celebrities they admire are smoking as well. These standards of beauty and conformity are not as widely seen in other cultures. Whites also have higher average incomes than Latinos and African-Americans, making cigarettes more affordable and easier to obtain. And since smoking is highest among whites, a white female is more likely to have friends and relatives who smoke.
             African-American and Latino women are not taught by their families and cultures that only a single standard of beauty is acceptable. They are therefore slig...