The vast majority of teens wrongly believe that most American adults smoke, an attitude that may adversely influence their own decisions about smoking, Science Daily reported May 18.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that 93 percent of high-school students surveyed overestimate tobacco consumption, and that the greater an adolescent's perception of smoking prevalence, the more likely they will be to smoke themselves. The study authors also found that teens who think that successful and elite people smoke are more likely to be smokers themselves, while those who believe that their parents or peers disapprove of smoking are less likely to smoke.

"Adolescents have important misconceptions about cigarette smoking that can place them at increased risk for smoking," said lead author Brian Primack, M.D., Ed.M.

The study appears in the May 2007 issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.