ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking among youths is increasingly a public health concern. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine the prevalence of smoking among secondary school students and to assess their perception of smoking and cigarette advertisement. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted among 1,223 senior secondary school students in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria. RESULTS: The prevalence of smoking among this population was 41 (3.4%) with 115 (9.4%) reporting that they had ever smoked. Mean age of smoking initiation was 14.2 years. Smoking was greater among males than females and in higher secondary school classes. Only 700 (57%) of students knew that smoking was harmful to their health and 477 (39%) reported that they had been taught about the harmful effects of smoking in the school teaching programme. Twenty-six percent of students had an item with a cigarette brand name on it and 19% had been offered a free cigarette by a cigarette representative. One hundred and twenty-two (10%) of the students indicated that they will smoke when they leave school. CONCLUSION: Although the prevalence of smoking among students was low, exposure to cigarette advertisements may encourage them to smoke.