Recognition of the deleterious effects of smoking among senior high school male students.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of, attitudes towards, and knowledge about cigarette smoking among senior high school male students with different levels of academic ability. Self-administered anonymous questionnaires were distributed to 2014 students in July 2001. The prevalence of current smokers was 10.9% overall. The percentage of nonsmokers increased with academic ability level in both first and second graders. Students who recognize that cigarette smoking is associated with various diseases were more numerous than those reported in a nationwide Japan survey. Their recognition regarding the deleterious effects of smoking inclined toward diseases of the respiratory system. Correct knowledge concerning the detrimental effects of smoking on 10 selected diseases differed according to academic ability levels. They also thought that environmental tobacco smoke exposure was harmful to nonsmokers' health (86.6%). Although they fully understood the harmful effects of smoking, the percentage of current smokers who wanted to quit smoking (24.7%) was somewhat lower than that of those who did not (30.1%). A considerable number of current smokers, 95 of 219, had not made up their mind to quit smoking. To reduce the numbers of adult smokers, it is important not only to prevent students from starting to smoke or to encourage smokers to quit but also to guide undecided smokers in how to quit.