"Young people ages 14 to 22 are more likely to associate cigarette smoking with the popular kids than with the unpopular ones," said Dr. Dan Romer, who directed the research at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center. "In their minds, if they're thinking about whether they should smoke or not, they're going to think 'If the popular kids do it, why shouldn't I?"'

For the study, Romer and his colleagues surveyed 900 young people aged 14 to 22. The questionnaire asked about their participation in risky behaviors, such as marijuana and cigarette use, as well as their perceptions about whether their popular peers engage in those behaviors.

According to the survey's results, 57 percent of respondents said that their popular peers were more likely to engage in alcohol use than their unpopular peers, while 40 percent said their popular peers were more likely to smoke cigarettes or marijuana.

"Parents should realize that the popular kids will potentially encourage their own kids," Romer said. "They have to be on the lookout for that kind of influence."

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