[Smoking restrictions and smoking prevalence in high schools]

Abstract

Background: Norwegian authorities encouraged the county authorities in 2002 to restrict smoking in high schools. By 2004, 10 county councils had made resolutions in favour of smoke-free schoolyards. We have examined the extent to which schools in these counties comply with county regulations. We have also studied smoking habits for students from schools with different smoking restrictions.

Material and methods: 2400 current and former senior high school students, 16-20 years old, were interviewed in 2004. They were selected to comprise a cross-sectional sample.

Results: Smoking restrictions in high school were more common in counties with uniform smoking policies than in other counties. Daily smoking was significantly less common among students at schools where smoking was prohibited during school hours than it was among students without such restrictions. We did not observe significant differences in smoking prevalence between students at schools with smoke-free schoolyards and students at schools without restrictions on smoking. Among former students, the proportion of daily smokers varied with the strength of their school's restriction on smoking.

Interpretation: Uniform county resolutions on senior high school smoking seem to result in tightened restrictions. Prohibition against smoking during school hours seem to result in less smoking, but the study does not offer conclusive evidence.