in Albania - Instituti i Shendetit Publik

ALBANIAN MEDICAL JOURNAL SUPPLEMENTGlobal Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) in AlbaniaRoland Shuperka 1 , Ledina Hoxha 2 , Krist Kocani 3 , Redona Shuperka 21Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania;2The Association of Health Professionals Against Tobacco and Alcohol;3For Tobacco Free Albania.Aim: The purpose of this study was to collect dataon young peoples smoking prevalence, knowledgeand attitudes related to tobacco use, exposure tomedia messages on smoking and to environmentaltobacco smoke, and the inclusion of healtheducation about tobacco use in school curricula inAlbania.Methods: Target group were pupils fromelementary schools attending the seventh, the eighthand and the ninth grades in Albania. Overall, 59representative schools were included in the survey,with 4771 pupils in the age of 13-15 years.Results: According to the survey findings, 11.5 %of schoolchildren were current smokers (17.6%boys and 6.3% girls). More than three out of tenever smokers initiated smoking before the age of10 years. Four out of ten pupils lived at homeswhere other people smoked. A large proportion ofpupils had experimented with tobacco, more thenfive out of ten of pupils in the overall sample. About65% of schoolchildren reported exposure tosecond-hand smoke in places outside their homes.About 83% of schoolchildren were not refusedwhen buying tobacco products despite their youngage.Conclusion: Awareness campaigns on the dangersof cigarette smoking need to be intensified inAlbania. Our data suggest a decreasing age ofinitiation of cigarette use among Albanianadolescents. Therefore, measures on tobacco controland prevention should be implemented and includethe following elements: schools-based programs onsmoking cessation and prevention, restriction ofexposure to second-hand smoke, media campaigns,and prohibition of availability of tobacco productsto minors.Keywords: global youth tobaccosurvey, pupils, smoking.80 ALBANIAN MEDICAL JOURNAL SUPPLEMENT