title: The impact of anti-smoking laws on high school students in Ankara, Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the factors affecting the smoking habits of high school students, their thoughts about changes resulting from anti-smoking laws, and how they are affected by those laws.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, 11th-grade students at eight high schools in Ankara, Turkey, were invited to complete a questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1,199 students completed the questionnaire satisfactorily. The mean age of the respondents was 17.0  0.6 years; 56.1% were female, of whom 15.3% were smokers; and 43.9% were male, of whom 43.7% were smokers (p < 0.001). The independent risk factors for smoking were male gender, attending a vocational school, having a sibling who smokes, having a friend who smokes, and poor academic performance. Of the respondents, 74.7% were aware of the content of anti-smoking laws; 81.8% approved of the restrictions and fines; and 8.1% had quit smoking because of those laws. According to the respondents, the interventions that were most effective were the (television) broadcast of films about the hazards of smoking and the ban on cigarette sales to minors. The prevalence of smoking was highest (31.5%) among students attending vocational high schools but lowest (7.5%) among those attending medical vocational high schools. Although 57.1% of the smokers were aware of the existence of a smoking cessation helpline, only 3.7% had called, none of whom had made any attempt to quit smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although most of the students evaluated were aware of the harmful effects of smoking and approved of the anti-smoking laws, only a minority of those who smoked sought professional help to quit.
authors.affiliation: Dicle University, Turkey.
authors.forename: Melike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Sifa University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gulistan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karadeniz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fikri
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Behcet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karadeniz
authors.affiliation: Dicle University, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halide
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Acibadem University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yenibertiz
authors.affiliation: Dicle University, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahsuk
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taylan
authors.affiliation: Dicle University, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sureyya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Velat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D061845:Smoke-Free Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology