16% of 13-15 year olds smoke regularly
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In Italy, one student aged 13-15 out of four has used at least once in the last month a product including cigarettes, e-cigs and heated tobacco products (Htp). Almost one in three has smoked a ‘traditional’ cigarette at least once in their life. The data emerge from the fourth edition of the ‘Global youth tobacco survey’ (Gyts) surveillance, coordinated by the Higher Institute of Health and carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Who/Cdc of Atlanta, in close synergy with the Ministry of Education and Merit. The national survey involved a representative sample of 2,069 young people aged between 13 and 15 and, for the first time this year, a total of 17,713 young people made up of representative samples from 8 regions/pA (Autonomous Province of Trento, Friuli Venezia -Giulia, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Lazio, Calabria and Puglia).
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The investigation
The survey is conducted every four years and for the first time sees a higher percentage of use among females than males for all the products considered. The researchers established that it is still not “sufficient to adhere to the smoking ban in schools, the presence of a high exposure of children to secondhand smoke, at home or in the car, and a great accessibility to all products despite the bans “.
Among 13-15 year olds, from 2010 to 2022, the share of current smokers, who smoke habitually, dropped on average from 21% to 16% (i.e. from 19% to 13% for boys and from 22% to 17% for the girls). The great majority makes concomitant use of traditional cigarettes, e-cigs and heated tobacco products, while only 2% of the sample makes exclusive use of traditional cigarettes.
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Increase your use of e-cigarettes
The use of the e-cig is increasing, which was detected for the first time with the 2018 survey and rose in 4 years from 18% to 20%, as a result of a reduction among boys from 22% to 18% and an increase among girls from 13% to 21%. The heated tobacco device (Htp), recorded for the first time in the 2022 survey, is used by 14% of current users (12% male and 16% female) while the share of ever smokers decreased from 2010 to 2022 cigarettes, going from 46% in 2010 to 33% in 2022 (those who have smoked traditional cigarettes at least once in the last year). Also for electronic cigarettes, consumers decreased from 43% in 2018 to 33% in 2022 and for Htp the figure for 2022 is 23%.
“These numbers- he underlines Valentina Minardi of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (Cnapps) – make it clear that by now it is necessary to monitor not only the use of ‘traditional’ cigarettes in adolescents, but also to take into consideration all the products on the market that can give nicotine addiction”.
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Cigarettes also accessible for minors
Although the 2016 ‘Tobacco’ decree provides for the tightening of penalties for non-compliance with the ban on selling to minors, the 2022 survey shows that these measures have not yet translated into “complete inaccessibility” for minors to these products: one 13-15 year old out of 4 bought cigarettes directly from the tobacconist (there were 49% in 2010) and 14% said they bought e-cigs or htp directly from resellers. For both of these two products, almost half say they got them from a relative or friend.
Among young smokers who have tried to buy cigarettes from tobacconists, 73% declare that they have not received any refusal from the seller due to being a minor (percentage which reached 92% in 2010); similar quotas concern those who have tried to buy e-cig or Htp.
Passive smoking in schools
In the meantime, exposure to secondhand smoke in schools, at home and in cars is still too high. Although since 2003 the Sirchia law has imposed a ban on smoking in all enclosed spaces, including schools, and since 2013 the Lorenzin bill has banned smoking in the external appurtenances of schools, 1 out of 3 students reports seeing someone smoking inside of their own school and 58% in external appurtenances (courtyards, car parks, etc.). Almost half of the young people interviewed (47%) declare that someone smoked in the house in their presence (stable figure compared to 2010, equal to 49%).
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Girls are more at risk
One in 4 teenagers remembers driving with someone who smoked in their presence in the last 7 days. Research confirms the higher risk of using tobacco products and e-cigarettes for women. This is also confirmed by a higher female susceptibility to take the first puff or vape. “Kids report high confidence in their ability to stop smoking – the expert concludes – but about half of cigarette smokers are at risk of addiction, a phenomenon that is more important for those who use cigarettes electronics with nicotine. As regards secondhand smoke, a north-south gradient is observed in exposure in all environments to the detriment of the southern regions participating in the regional survey, with more alarming values for secondhand smoke in schools”.
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