Approximately one in 3 Italian students between the ages of 14 and 17 (30.2%) has used a tobacco or nicotine-based product in the last 30 days, including traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco. Among girls, consumption is a slightly higher percentage than among male peers. And polyconsumption, i.e. the simultaneous use of these products, almost doubles compared to the last 2022 survey in this age group, which stands at 62.4%, compared to a previous 38.7%. This is what emerges from a survey on tobacco and nicotine consumption in students in the 2023-2024 school year, conducted by the National Center for Addiction and Doping of the Higher Institute of Health on a representative sample of 6,012 students, and announced on the eve of of World No Tobacco Day.
More markedly for traditional cigarettes, but also for heated tobacco devices and e-cigs, consumption is mainly concentrated on weekends and the age of first contact with nicotine is between 13 and a half years and 2.30pm. There do not appear to be strict controls on age at the time of purchase, so much so that the majority of young people interviewed say they personally purchased the products at the bar or from the tobacconist. In approximately one in 3 cases, parents are aware of the fact that children use a tobacco or nicotine-based product and seem to tolerate the use of new products more than traditional cigarettes (15.3% Htp; 16.5% e-cig; 9.9% traditional cigarette).
“The increasingly aggressive marketing of nicotine-based products towards this age group, which goes from tools such as packaging and the increasingly ‘captivating’ external appearance of the devices”, up to “the creation of ‘fruity’ flavors ‘closer to the tastes of young people – underlines Simona Pichini, who directs the National Center for Addiction and Doping at the ISS – is ensuring that its use is increasingly widespread. It is no coincidence that the World Health Organization has chosen it as its slogan this year’s day ‘Protect children from interference by the tobacco industry’. It must not be forgotten that nicotine is an addictive substance, and that there is evidence of negative health effects also from the use of this type. of devices”.
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