CIGARETTE-SMOKING AMONG JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH-SCHOOL-STUDENTS IN JAPAN

Purpose: To estimate the smoking prevalence among junior and senior hi gh school students in Japan. Methods: We conducted a nationwide survey of adolescent smoking habits in 1990. Sample schools were selected by single random sampling. Self-administered anonymous questionnaires we re sent to sample schools for all students to fill out. Seventy junior high schools and 33 senior high schools responded. A total of 57,189 students responded. Results: The current smoking rate (the proportion of students who had smoked at least once during the previous month) wa s much higher among boys than girls. The current smoking rate among se venth graders was 4.0% for boys and 1.5% for girls, and it increased w ith age to reach 25.5% for boys and 4.9% for girls in the twelfth grad e. The percentage of regular smokers in the seventh grade was less tha n 1% for both sexes, but it increased to 20.3% for boys and 2.2% for g irls in twelfth grade. Among current smokers, the proportion of boys s moking 1-9 cigarettes per day decreased, and the proportion of boys sm oking 10 or more cigarettes per day increased, as age increased. Most current smokers buy their cigarettes from cigarette vending machines o r tobacconist shops. Conclusions: Since this survey reveals that smoki ng prevalence among students is not low even in junior high school, he alth education about smoking must start earlier and carry a greater em phasis within the curriculum. These results also indicate the importan ce of urging families to have greater concern for the smoking behavior of their children, of banning cigarette vending machines, and of prev enting illegal sale of cigarettes to anyone under the age of 20 years.