title: Light smoking and dependence symptoms in high-school students.
abstract: In high-school students, prevalence of smoking is high but few studies analyzed smoking in the student population according to nicotine content of smoked cigarettes and gender. We analyzed the responses to a questionnaire, including the modified Fagerström Tolerance Questionnaire (FTQ), administered to 555 students (382 males, 173 females) of a professional high school in Palermo, Italy, to assess the prevalence in both genders of: (1) smoking "light" and high nicotine (HN) cigarettes; (2) signs of nicotine dependence and (3) respiratory symptoms. Nicotine content of habitually smoked cigarettes was considered as "light" if 0.8 mg; as high if >0.8 mg. Forty-four percent of students smoked, without differences between genders. Two-thirds of the total sample reported "light" cigarette smoking (76.7% of females vs. 62.0% of males, P<0.05). On average, "light" cigarette smoking was associated with lower pack/year and FTQ global score compared to HN smoking. However, when FTQ global score was analyzed by taking into account pack/year, no major difference was found between "light" and HN cigarette smokers. Cough with phlegm and breathlessness were more frequently reported by smoking than non-smoking students, without differences between "light" and HN cigarette smokers. About 50% of smoking students reported having tried to quit, while only 3.4% of students were ex-smokers. "Light" smoking was common in high school students, especially among females. Dependence appeared more influenced by the smoking history than by nicotine content. Respiratory symptoms were similar in "light" and HN cigarette smokers.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Generale e Pneumologia, Università di Palermo, Via Trabucco, 180, 90146 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soresi
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spatafora
authors.forename: Maria R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bonsignore
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bellia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D005731:Ganglionic Stimulants / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000032:analysis*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D005731:Ganglionic Stimulants; D009538:Nicotine