[Smoking in primary schools].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze policies related to tobacco use in primary schools.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study. SITE. Primary schools in the city of Barcelona, Spain.


METHODS
Schools principals of a representative sample of the 493 primary schools in the city; 98 of the 100 selected schools participated.


RESULTS
Schools are aware of the existing regulations in Catalonia. Although there is no smoking in classrooms--which represents an improvement compared with previous years--, visible use of tobacco by adults is frequent. Usually there is no formal policy on smoking. No smoking signs are rare, and usually there is no designated person with responsibilities for the enforcement of smoking policies. Schools rarely address smoking outside school hours, and adults are often allowed to smoke in the court, the dining room or the aisles. There are no significant differences between public and private schools.


CONCLUSIONS
Although an improvement can be seen compared to the previous situation, smoking is still visibly present in schools. There must be specific prevention projects if schools are to have a positive influence in the social perception of smoking by schoolchildren.
Ballestín
M
M
Institut Municipal de la Salut, Barcelona.
Jáuregui
O
O
Ribera
S
S
Villalbí
J R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D012574:Schools; D012907:Smoking; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013030:Spain
El tabaco en las escuelas primarias.