Source: Annual Congress 2012 - Tobacco and shisha exposure in children and adolescents
Disease area: Airway diseases, Paediatric lung diseases

Abstract

Introduction: Harmful effects of tobacco for human health are widely known, nevertheless, the prevalence of smoking is still increasing among adolescents. Objectives: To evaluate the behavior as well as the knowledge of high school students in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: This work was developed with authorization of the Board of Education of the city Botucatu, in public secondary school. The students of the high school were invited to answer a questionnaire about smoking and its harms. Descriptive analysis of the data was done. Results: We obtained 292 (41.7%) valid questionnaires (age:15.9 ± 1.4years, 54.8% female). About smoking habits, 33.2% tried cigarettes at least once and 64.9% were female, 5% smoke more than 15 days/month, and 89.0% reported don‘t smoke. Most students (68.5%) do not have parents or relatives who smoke indoor. 91.1% know that cigarettes cause health problems and 81.8% said that nicotine is the substance responsible for addiction. Besides of that, 62.7% are not sure about the amount of toxic substances present in the cigarette. About the use of nicotine in young people, 7.9% believe that it acts more lenient, while 19.5% believe that it acts in a powerful way, making the addiction more difficult to overcome, 24.3% say the nicotine activity is the same as in adults, and 43.2% are unsure (5,1% did not answer). About the possibility of smoking, 79.5% said that they will not smoke in the next five years and 73.3% would refuse a cigarette if their best friend offered one. 51% affirmed that they received information about the harm of smoking from teachers. Conclusion: This study noticed that, despite of all media information, young people show little knowledge about smoking and its harms.

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M. Martins Ambrozi, L. Sousa Coelho, S. Erico Tanni, L.F.S. Baldini, L.M.O. Caram, A. Luiz Bertani, C. Knaut, I. de Godoy, I. de Godoy (Botucatu, Brazil). Knowledge about smoking and its harm among high school students. Eur Respir J 2012; 40: Suppl. 56, 4052

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