Tobacco use among working adolescents and high school students in Turkey, 2006 and 2015: the effect of the national tobacco control policy

Abstract

There is limited data, both smoking status of adolescents and the effect of the tobacco control policy on smoking consumption. In our previous published study conducted in 2006 before the national tobacco control program, we found that working adolescents (WA) more frequently consume cigarettes than high school students (HSS). The objective of the present study is to compare the smoking status of WA and HSS and to detect the effect of the national tobacco control policy.

A questionnaire including questions about the participant’s socio-economic level and smoking status was administered.

There were 554 subjects in the WA group and 244 subjects in HSS group in the 2015 study versus 353 subjects in the WA group and 315 subjects in the HSS group in the 2006 study. Those who had ever smoked (ever smokers) (p < 0.001), current smoker (p < 0.001), and smoking exposure at home (p < 0.005) were significantly higher in the WA group than HSS group in the 2015 study. When we compared the 2015 results with the 2006 study, while there was a significant decline in the ever smokers (p < 0.001), there was no difference in current smokers both female and male in WA group. In HSS group, there was significant decline in ever smokers (p < 0.01), both female and male. While there was significant decline in current smoker females (p = 0,002), no significant decrease was found in current smoker males (p > 0.05) in HSS group. There was no significant difference according to smoking exposure at home between the 2006 and 2015 in both groups.

After institution of the National Tobacco Control program, we have not seen a reduction in the smoking rates of WA and HSS.