[Teachers and smoking. Methods and results of an awareness and up-dating program in Ligurian schools]

An investigation on smoking habits of teachers of secondary and high schools allowed the collection of very interesting and useful data for the organization of post-graduate up-date courses and health education programs. Smokers' proportion remains still high, as 35% of males and 30% of females teachers are smokers; this situation is different in other countries, where an inverse relationship exists between smoking habit and economic welfare and cultural level. The number of daily-cigarettes was rather low only in females teachers, as 50% smoked less than 5-10 daily-cigarettes. Teachers' interviews suggested the high degree of interest in the organization of health education programs and courses on smoking, with special regard to the courses on smoking, with special regard to the methodology that is required for prevention programs in the school. The high attendance to the courses, the quantity and quality of teachers' reports on these problems and the practical application in school environment of these theoretical concepts confirmed the reliability and effectiveness of this methodologic approach.