title: High prevalence of smoking in Northern Greece.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of smoking in the general population and in specific population sub-groups in Northern Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted during the period 1999-2001 on a 5% sample (23,840) of those people aged between 21 to 80 out of a total general population of 653,249. 21,854/23,840 general population subjects were interviewed. In addition, we interviewed 9,276 high school students, 1,072 medical students, 597 medical doctors within the National Health System, 825 teachers, and 624 subjects who regularly exercised in a privately-owned gym. A specially modified ICRF study group questionnaire was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  34.4% of the general population sample were current smokers (47.8% of males and 21.6% of females). Smoking prevalence rates in the population sub-groups were: 29.6% of high school students; 40.7% of medical students; 44.9% of medical doctors; 46.4% of teachers; and 36.9% of the gym group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of smoking in Northern Greece is high. High school and medical students present with high smoking rates, and the same situation is observed in medical doctors and teachers. An intensification of preventive antismoking measures is required.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Clinic, Aristotle University of Thessalonica, and the Laboratory for the Investigation of Environmental Diseases, G. Papanicolaou General Hospital, Exochi, Thessalonica, 57010 Greece. dchloros@msn.com
authors.forename: Lazaros T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Sichletidis
authors.forename: Diamantis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chloros
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsiotsios
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kottakis
authors.forename: Ourania
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kaiafa
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaouri
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karamanlidis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kalkanis
authors.forename: Sotirios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Posporelis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation