Trends in adolescents smoking in 6 countries

Introduction Adolescents smoking has decreased steadily in the last decades. Yet, this decrease has been uneven across areas and across socio-economic groups. It is unclear which groups have been the least responsive to changes in smoking outcomes. We identify the levels and the groups associated with changes in smoking outcomes and in unequal change of smoking. Material and Methods The SILNE-R study performed a repeated full network cross-sectional study in schools from six European cities. Fifty schools initially recruited in 2013 were recontacted to participate three years later and 38 accepted to reparticipate. Results Tampere largely succeed in reducing both ever try and weekly smoking rates, Coimbra has particularly decrease the ever trying rate, and Hanover the weekly smoking rate. Yet, all other cities also acknowledge a significant decrease in their rates, but Latina, who both rates do not significantly decrease between the two waves. Absolute inequalities went down for all socio-economic groups and the decrease was more or less of the same magnitude across socio-economic groups. Friends smoking was a major contributor to smoking inequalities and to the slowing down of the smoking epidemic