Final answer:
A 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes significantly decreases teenage smoking due to their more elastic demand compared to adults. Taxes and public health initiatives are more effective in reducing youth smoking rates.
Step-by-step explanation:
For teenagers, a 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes leads to a reduction in the quantity of youth smoking. Demand for cigarettes among youth is more elastic compared to adults. This means that teenagers are more sensitive to price changes, and thus, an increase in cost due to tax hikes or market adjustments significantly decreases their cigarette consumption. Anti-smoking advertising campaigns and public programs aiming to discourage tobacco use are integral to shifting the inelastic demand curve. The goal of such interventions is not solely to make cigarettes more expensive but to reduce the overall demand, which is particularly effective among the young population.
The elasticity of demand varies between demographic groups. While adult smokers may show a more inelastic response, meaning their smoking habits change little with price increases, teenagers react more strongly to changes in price. Therefore, measures that affect cigarette pricing are likely to see more pronounced effects in the behavior of teenagers than among adults. In the context of public health and policy making, understanding the elastic nature of youth smoking demand is crucial for designing effective anti-smoking initiatives.