[Teenagers and smoking: prevalence, patterns and attitudes]

To determine the prevalence of smoking among 12 to 14-year-olds in the province of Salamanca and to identify their knowledge of and attitudes to smoking as well as the impact of information provided on the subject in comic strip form.

We performed a descriptive study (n = 4907). The variables analyzed were: age, sex, place of residence, school, smoking, and degree of awareness of the consequences of smoking before and after being given the comic book. Statistical analysis was carried out using measures of central tendency, the chi-squared test and Student's t-test T (p < 0.05).

Of the teenagers surveyed, 45.4 % of the boys and 39 % of the girls had smoked at some time and 20.5 % reported they were current smokers, with no differences between sexes. In both sexes the first cigarette was offered by a friend (59.8 % of boys and 66.5 % of girls). The teenagers began to smoke at a mean age of 11.1 years. Most of these adolescents smoked between 1 and 5 cigarettes a day. Most (91.8 %) considered tobacco to be a drug and after reading the comic strip this percentage rose to 99.1 %. A total of 70.1 % knew what passive smoking was, and after reading the comic strip this figure increased to 88.2 %. More than half (64.9 %) associated tobacco consumption with cancer, bronchitis and heart attack and 44.4 % considered mild cigarettes to be less harmful; after reading the comic strip these percentages changed to 95.3 % and 1.4 % respectively. Before reading the comic strip 84.2 % associated addiction with nicotine whereas after reading the comic this figure was 97.8 %.

Children have contact with tobacco at a relatively early age. Current information on smoking is acceptable but could be improved. Information provided through comic strips can be an effective way of reaching adolescents and of preventing them from taking up the habit.