[Smoking in adolescents: prevalence, clinical manifestations, preventive measures].
BACKGROUND
Since the late 1990s, several French surveys have studied perceptions about and the use of tobacco and other drugs among adolescents. This enables to track trends in tobacco use at this crucial age. This article presents the main epidemiological data gathered since 2000 and also reviews older surveys in order to place recent trends in a broader perspective.


BACKGROUND
Thus, tobacco use has been decreasing in adolescents for several years but remains at a higher level than in the adult French population or than in many other European countries. This pattern is linked with a clearer view of the dangers of tobacco in terms of addiction and related harms, compared with alcohol and cannabis.


CONCLUSIONS
The results vary according to social background and level of educational attainment and echo similar trends in adult populations.


CONCLUSIONS
General population surveys can provide useful data for the monitoring and the understanding of trends in tobacco use. They can also provide useful information regarding prevention for policy makers and other health professionals.
Beck
F
F
Observatoire Français des Drogues et des Toxicomanies, France. frbec@ofdt.fr
Legleye
S
S
Peretti-Watel
P
P
Spilka
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D004522:Educational Status; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires