Tobacco smoking habits of secondary school students

Abstract

For several years, we have been observing a positive trend of the reduction in the number of young people taking up tobacco smoking. However, the age when people initiate this habit is particularly worrisome. Smoking traditional tobacco products is as harmful as using their equivalents, such as chewing tobacco. The issue is noticed on a global scale, according to the information provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as nationwide, as indicated by the Polish Ministry of Health. Smoking is a common problem in Poland. It is estimated that 29% of adults smoke tobacco, of which 34% are men, and 23% are women, whereas young people most often initiate smoking within groups of their peers. Smoking leads to a series of health consequences, including acceleration of cell ageing processes, the weakening of immune system functions, which significantly influences the risk of tobacco-related diseases in adult life, increased frequency of lesions related to cardiac muscle ischemia, and to physical and mental addiction to nicotine.