SMOKING-HABITS OF ZAGREB SECONDARY-SCHOOL STUDENTS

The investigation has been conducted on a representative sample of Zag reb's secondary schools in their first classes (N=958), their average age being 15.6 years. In 1995 a poll took place which explored the ext ent of people's smoking habits, their attitudes against smoking, as we ll as the possible influence of the way they spend their free time on the acceptance of tobacco smoking. Results pointed out that in the las t month of school there was 24.5% of those who smoked one or more ciga rettes each day. Their parents are smokers in about 60% of the cases ( fathers 63%, mothers 52%), but smoking behaviour within the family is not statistically significantly bound with the smoking behaviour of yo uths. Students who spend less time studying, those who choose the kind of school that does not indicate their orientation towards an educati onal career, and especially these who skip classes, smoke quite often, more in quantity and begin their bad habit earlier. Students who spen d their free time watching TV, going ''out'', playing at ''game-machin es'' or riding motor bikes, are under a considerably higher risk of ac cepting the smoking habit, while those who spend more time studying, d oing sports, reading books or pursuing other hobbies are under a much lower risk. It is advisable to significantly increase the promotion of quality preventive programmes in schools, as well as organise a serie s of social measures in order to protect the interests and health of y oung people.