Adolescents' Attitudes on Smoking Are Related to Experimentation with Smoking, Daily Smoking and Best Friends' Smoking in Two Karelias in Finland and in Russia.

Purpose: Becoming a smoker usually starts during adolescence and is a dynamic process involving experimentation before the establishment of daily smoking. It has been suggested that adolescents who smoke differ from those who do not in their attitudes to smoking. The purpose of this study was to find out whether attitudes related to smoking legislation and restrictions, social pressures in smoking and image of smokers are associated with smoking experimentation, daily smoking and best friends' smoking.

Changes in smoking among adolescents in the Republic of Karelia, Russia and Eastern Finland from 1995 to 2013.

Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of smoking, smoking experimentation and future intention to smoke in the Pitkäranta district, the Republic of Karelia, Russia and Eastern Finland in the years 1995 and 2013.

Methods: Cross-sectional studies were carried out among 15-year-old ninth grade adolescents in all schools in the Pitkäranta region (1995: n=385, response rate 95%; 2013: 182, response rate 98%) and a sample of schools in Eastern Finland (1995: n=2098, response rate 91%; 2013: 635 response rate 95%).

Results: The daily smoking prevalence among adolescents did not change either in Eastern Finland or in the Pitkäranta district from 1995 to 2013.