| Abstract: | Students smoking at 2 key middle schools and 6 ordinary middle schools in Beijing, China were surveyed to determine the form in which high schoolers start smoking, and how long they have smoked. The patterns and causes of smoking were analyzed. The investigation was made from March to May 1981. 430 boys and 423 girls were selected from key schools and 1396 boys and 1394 girls from ordinary schools. Ages ranged from 13-17. All subjects completed a questionnaire in the classroom. To increase the reliability of the survey, names were kept secret. The students surveyed were classified into groups according to their smoking status: current regular smokers; occasional smokers; ex-smokers; and nonsmokers. In the key schools, there were only 4 smokers among 430 students, accounting for 0.9% of the total. Of these, 1 was Senior Class 2, 2 Senior Class 1, and 1 Junior Class 3. In the ordinary schools, 10% were smokers. 19.7% of the boys and 0.4% of the girls smoked. Among the boys, the higher the class, the more numerous the smokers. The smoking rate was 8.2% in the 1st year of junior high but rose to 34% in senior class 2; the difference was statistically significant. "Special occasion" smokers were few, only 5.5% of the students. In junior class, the number of regular smokers was about 2/3 to 4/5 that of occasional smokers. And by senior class 2 the number of regular smokers had risen to about 3 times that of the occasional smokers. In every grade, there were students who had given up smoking. Most had been occasional smokers. Some high schoolers had started to smoke in primary school and had a 4-5 year history of smoking, but most had only picked up smoking for 1-2 years after announcement of the Rules for High School Students prohibiting smoking. There were 3 smoking patterns: smoking without inhaling; inhaling the smoke deeply into the lungs, then expiring through the mouth or nostrils; and combining patterns 1 and 2. Of 265 students, 128 used the 1st pattern, 121 the second, and only 16 combined both patterns. The most common cause of smoking was curiosity. Next was lack of high ideals and dedication followed by boredom. The smoking rate in students whose parents were smokers was significantly higher than in those whose parents were nonsmokers. The difference was significant among all classes except junior class 1. To reduce smoking among high school students, it is necessary to go beyond the existing rules which prohibit smoking and emphasize political and ideologic education. Students must be taught about the dangers of smoking as early as possible, preferably in primary schools. |
