Scientists have established the age when teenagers are most likely to start smoking

Every second teenager smoked his first cigarette at the age of 11-13. This was the conclusion reached by scientists from the SSMU in the course of a one-stage comprehensive study of behavioral characteristics of high school students, which involved 1300 people aged 15 to 17 years. One of the sections of this study was devoted to the characterization and frequency of tobacco smoking prevalence.

Yulia Eliseeva, professor of the Department of General Hygiene and Ecology at the V. I. Razumovsky Saratov State Medical University, told RIA Novosti that although the age of smoking initiation varies, boys try a cigarette for the first time at an average age of 10.9 (plus/minus 1.3 years), while girls - at 12.7 (plus/minus 1.8 years).

In addition, the study found that 56% of high school seniors had already tried smoking by that age.

“It's too late to engage in tobacco prevention in high school; the train leaves much earlier. It is appropriate to talk about it already in the “elementary school”, - said the professor.

According to Eliseeva, it is necessary to pay attention to the indirect causes of early smoking. Smoking family members have a significant influence on the formation of this addiction. As the study showed, most often it concerns fathers: sons follow their example in 39.7% of cases, and girls - in 36.2%.

“Children and adolescents are characterized by the “mirroring” of close people, especially the father, if he occupies an authoritative position in the family,” the professor added. 

The study of smoking behavior in adolescents on the questionnaire Horn showed that the majority is characterized by the type of “support”, in which the cigarette becomes a kind of salvation in situations of anxiety, helping to reduce stress levels, cope with nervousness and overcome shyness.

The second most common is the “relaxation” type, which allows for “extra pleasure” from tobacco.

The results of the Fagerström test allowed Saratov scientists to determine that the majority of surveyed smoking teenagers 15-17 years old have a weak dependence on nicotine.

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