TY - JOUR
TI - Smoking among high school students
AU - Heras, P.
AU - Kritikos, K.
AU - Hatzopoulos, A.
AU - Kritikos, N.
AU - Mitsibounas, D.
JO - The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
PY - 2008
VL - 34
TODO - 2
SP - 219-224
PB - 
SN - 0095-2990, 1097-9891
TODO - 10.1080/00952990701877151
TODO - adolescent;  adult;  article;  female;  Greece;  health hazard;  high school student;  human;  major clinical study;  male;  parental smoking;  smoking;  smoking habit;  social aspect, Adolescent;  Female;  Greece;  Humans;  Male;  Risk Factors;  Sex Distribution;  Smoking;  Social Environment;  Students
TODO - Introduction: There are no recent data on smoking habits of high-school students in Greece. The primary objective of the study was to determine these epidemiological factors. Methods: The smoking habits of 927 high-school students (471 boys and 456 girls), aged between 15-18 years, in four regions of a Greek area (the island of Cos), were examined. Study data were collected using a questionnaire. Results: It was found that 32.48% of boys and 27.19% of girls are smokers; 43.3% had started smoking before the age of 14. The mean age for starting smoking was 14.4 ± 1.9 years for the boys and 14.9 ± 1.6 years for the girls. As many as 22.8% of the students smoke 6 to 10 cigarettes per day and 21.5% 16 to 20 cigarettes per day; 40.2% reported that they smoke out of spite. Students reported that their parents are aware that their offspring smoke in a proportion of 36.7%. Social standards and parental example were found to be the main determinants for starting smoking. The majority of the students (95.2%) stated that they are aware of the hazards associated with smoking. Discussion: Our findings highlight the need for smoking control interventions aimed at young people. Smoking is a major, yet preventable cause of morbidity and mortality. For these reasons, we view that adolescents should be targeted with a well-planned integrated anti-smoking policy and not just an initiative for raising awareness of smoking hazards. Copyright © Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.
ER -