The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: We know that smoking initiation and tobacco dependence start early in many adolescents' lives. Are adolescents who smoke satisfied? Do they want to quit? Do they want help to quit? Do they accept it? Do they succeed? How do adolescents evaluate a project aimed to help them to quit? The objective of this study is to find these answers in a sample of Portuguese adolescents.

Methods: In the beginning (T1) and in the end (T2) of the scholar year a questionnaire was applied to all students of a school with 7th to 12th grades (n=469; mean age 14.4; 52.2% girls; 70.1 % at T1 and 68.0 at T2 were never smokers; 9.4% at T1 and 10.7 at T2 were daily smokers). During the scholar year a multi-component smoking prevention and cessation project was implemented.

Results: At T1 smokers (n=62) were not satisfied (only 10% don't like to quit) but few will accept help to stop (12%). Smokers who want to quit seem to trust will power (85% believe they could stop if they want). During the implementation of the project smokers' recruitment to quitting activities was very difficult. At T2, 64% (n=99) of smokers tried to stop, some more than once (45%). Among daily smokers at T1 (N=44) 36% tried to quit but only 9% succeed. This study shows that adolescents who smoke, do want and do try to quit. They trust will power, the majority doesn't accept help and their quit attempts are unsuccessful.