Smoking among adolescents in Muenster, Germany: increase in prevalence (1995-2000) and relation to tobacco advertising.
BACKGROUND
Understanding patterns and trends of smoking among youths is of major importance for the assessment of the burden of smoking in the society and efforts to decrease it.


OBJECTIVE
The aims were to determine the prevalence and trends of smoking among adolescents in Muenster, Germany, and to assess its relation to youths' awareness of tobacco advertisement.


METHODS
Information on smoking habits was collected during two school-based surveys (1994/1995 and 1999/2000) of 12- to 15-year-old adolescents (3934 students in 1994/5 and 4028 students in 1999/2000) in Muenster, Germany. In addition, in 1994/1995 information about youths' awareness and appreciation of tobacco advertisement was collected.


RESULTS
During the 5-year period, the prevalence of current smoking increased from 21.3 to 28.3%, and daily smoking increased from 10.0 to 14.2%. Among girls, daily smoking increased by 62% during this period. Almost all participants (94%) in 1994/1995 knew a tobacco brand, and appreciation of tobacco advertisement was strongly associated with the frequency of smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
Smoking is increasing among adolescents in Germany especially among girls. These data are a cause of concern and call for efforts to reverse these trends, which should include a ban on tobacco advertisement in Germany.
Maziak
Wasim
W
Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Muenster, Domagkstrasse 3, 48129 Muenster, Germany. maziak@uni-muenster.de
Rzehak
Peter
P
Keil
Ulrich
U
Weiland
Stephan K
SK
D000293:Adolescent; D000329:Advertising; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000639:trends