[Smoking in students in secondary schools in Burkina Faso]

A multi-centre enquiry in 12 of 30 provinces of Burkina Faso was carried out to study smoking in pupils at secondary schools. The prevalence of smoking was 13.6 per cent. Amongst the smokers, occasional smoking was the most common, involving 62 per cent. Boys smoked more than girls. The average age of starting smoking was early, at 13.4 years. The majority of smokers consumed less than five cigarettes a day and the favourite place for consumption was the home of their parents or guardian and at school. The determinants of school smokers were above all environmental: the influence of friends and advertising. The students showed a good knowledge of the harmful effects of smoking. This knowledge was linked to their educational level and to their status as a smoker or non-smoker. The proportion of pupils who had obtained good results in the term which preceded the enquiry was more significant amongst the non-smokers than amongst the smokers. An awareness of the significance of smoking amongst pupils by their parents, guardians and teachers involves health education and rigorous legislative measures on advertising and these would contribute to some reduction in the extent of the phenomenon in educational establishments.