The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine tobacco use among students and the factors that influence their use in these adolescents.Environmental variables such as curiosity and experimentation may be important factors for tobacco use among male adolescents while in females, such determinations are more likely to be emotional and psychodynamic in nature.Tobacco industries might have contributed for their used also.

Methods: The study was conducted in January 2005 among secondary schools in Benin City, Nigeria.Four schools were selected by multistage sampling.The final selection was done by simple random sampling. A total of 960 students were sceened using a self administered questionnaires.

Results: Male constituted 62% and females 38% of the study population. 63% were using tobacco at the time of survey; 5% were past user while 32% had never used it before.Males predominated with 76% of total users while females were 24%. The mean age for for their use was 10years.The reasons given were--to relieve stress, feel good,availability, parental and peer group influences.Tobacco industries also contributed when promoting their products. Conclusions: Tobacco use among our youth is assuming a dangerous dimension, hence substance use education programmes should be introduced into schools and school authorities schould institute severe disciplinary measures on students who use them.Enabling laws prohibiting tobacco use should be enacted and also discourage tobacco industries from production.