Can government policies help adolescents avoid risky behavior?

This study examines the extent to which policies influence participation of adolescents in alcohol and tobacco consumption and in unsafe sex.Data were obtained from the 1995 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS) conducted by 20 different states and cities in the U.S. These data were combined with state data on cigarette taxes, vending machine laws, beer taxes, and family planning clinic availability. A model of teenage risk taking suggested that...