Tobacco Epidemic Keeps Spreading Among Turkish Youth

Objective: This study was carried out to show Turkey's prevalence of tobacco use among 15-24 year olds, to evaluate passively the affected cases, to determine the tendency to quit smoking and to contribute to the development of effective interventions for young people.

Methods: In this study, Turkey Statistical Institute (TurkStat) Health Survey 2014 data, representing the whole Turkey population, and a stratified sampling method were used.

Results: The sample group represented the population in the age group of 15–24 years in Turkey (11,750,297 young people). Nearly one of five young people (18.5%) was a daily smoker. The percentage of male daily smokers was significantly higher than that of female daily smokers (p<0.001). The initial age of smoking among males was 14.9±3.19 years, whereas that of females was16.3±2.88 years; this difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). The percentage of passive smoking among young males was significantly higher that among young females (p=0.028). The number of daily smoking cigarette was higher among individuals who started smoking at an early age than among those who started at an older age (p<0.005).

Conclusion: Descriptive and further analyses are showing that young people are at a risk for tobacco use and passive smoking despite the strong tobacco control law in our country. Young people who started smoking at earlier ages, smoke more numbers of cigarettes and do not want to quit. Stronger tobacco control activities for young people should be developed and implemented in the country.