[Smoking in schools. A cross-sectional epidemiologic study of a population of 4,281 school children]

Smokers begin to acquire their habit early. The objective of this study was therefore to determine real smoking habits among young people in Spain and create a profile of the adolescent smoker. A questionnaire was administered to a cross-section of the population. The results obtained coincide with reports by other authors in the Spanish and international literature. We found that the prevalence of smoking among young people between 9 and 19 years of age is approximately 25% and tobacco use increases with age. Young smokers participate less in sports and have a greater tendency to approve tobacco advertising. Young smokers' reasons for starting to smoke are diverse and the notion of "being grown-up" did not appear to apply to our cohort. We discuss, in the light of recent findings, the role of parents and social context in encouraging young people to smoke. The age of 14 is a key moment for taking up and establishing the habit of smoking.