Prevalence of tobacco smoking and electronic cigarette use among the high school students in Novi Sad

Introduction. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of mortality in the world. The World Health Organization estimates that annually more than seven million lives are lost worldwide due to smoking-related diseases. The aim of the study was to examine lifetime use of tobacco and electronic cigarettes, using patterns in the last 30 days, and to determine cigarette availability among the first grade high school students in Novi Sad. Material and Methods. The cross-sectional study was conducted among the first grade public high school students in Novi Sad. The study sample included 1.067 participants (587 girls and 480 boys), born in 2002. The survey used the questionnaire of the European School Project on Alcohol and other Drugs. Results. Of the examined sample, a total of 40.1% of high school students in Novi Sad have at least tried smoking cigarettes during their lifetime, girls significantly more often (p=0.001). With no gender difference, 20% of students smoked at least one cigarette in the month preceding the survey. Every seventh student (13.9%) tried their first cigarette at the age of 13 or younger, girls significantly more often (p=0.001). A little less than one fifth of the examinees (18.4%) tried electronic cigarettes. In the month preceding the survey, every twelfth examinee used electronic cigarettes (8.1%). Conclusion. Monitoring the prevalence of tobacco use in young people, especially new tobacco products, indicates the need for continuous and intensive activities in the field of health promotion with implementation of effective tobacco control measures.