[A trial of a smoking rate survey using the coming-of-age ceremony for evaluating action plans to prevent tobacco use in the young].
OBJECTIVE
To assess a smoking rate survey using the coming-of-age ceremony to examine the practicality for estimating the under twenties' smoking rate as a baseline and a long term assessment index for action plans to prevent smoking in the young.


METHODS
We undertook the survey at village A (with a population of about 6,500) and town B (with about 12,000 residents) in Niigata Prefecture. Village A started a comprehensive anti-smoking policy featuring cooperation between schools and the community. Subjects were twenty-year young adults (69 in village A and 118 in town B) who attended rural coming-of-age ceremonies in 2002. The self-rated questionnaire included smoking habits, age of first smoking experience, and age of becoming a regular smoker (only in village A).


RESULTS
Smoking rates were 68.0% for men and 48.6% for women in village A. Of these, approximately 90% smoked daily and more than 70% became regular smokers before the age of 20. Smoking rates in town B were similar. The results were about 20% higher than found by a smoking rate survey performed at high schools.


CONCLUSIONS
Smoking rate surveys at coming-of-age ceremonies offer a practical and easy approach to estimate under twenties' smoking rate and assess the effects of smoking prevention strategies among the young.
Seki
Nao
N
Division of Public Health, Department of Infectious Disease Control and International Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences.
Sekijima
Kayoko
K
Tanabe
Naohito
N
Suzuki
Hiroshi
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006285:Health Planning; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control*