Cigarette smoking among adolescents in Thessaloniki, Greece.

OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological characteristics in tobacco smoking among adolescents were investigated in Thessaloniki, Greece. METHODS: The target sample was 1,221 students coming from 15 high schools. RESULTS: Cigarette smoking was higher among girls than boys (40.9% vs. 34.3%). However, the percentage of boys who were smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day was found larger than the relevant percentage of girls (81.2% vs. 75% of total smokers). The boys also reported an earlier initiation of tobacco use (12.7 years vs. 12.9 years in girls). Physical activity was negatively correlated with smoking, whereas drinking alcohol and low parental education were positively correlated with smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Health promotion programs should be instituted not only during adolescence, but rather before the age of 14.

Decreasing prevalence of alcohol consumption among greek adolescents.

AIM OF THIS STUDY: To obtain data on alcohol consumption among school children of secondary education and to investigate any correlation to their health behaviors and parental socioeconomic status. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to students from a representative sample of 15 schools from Thessaloniki, the second (after Athens) largest metropolitan city of Greece. A total of 1185 students (505 males, 680 females) participated. RESULTS: 286 males (56.6%) and 329 females (48.4%) reported consuming alcohol. The initiation of drinking was at the age of 13.2 years for boys and 13 years for girls. Alcohol drinking was positively associated with socio-demographic variables and negative health behaviors such as parental low level of education, lack of physical exercise, coffee consumption, and smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Although our results show a decrease in alcohol use, which is more pronounced in male students, the prevalence of frequent alcohol consumption is among the highest in Europe's countries.