[Tobacco smoking in a sample of middle-size city inhabitants aged 35-55]. / Palenie tytoniu w wieku 35-55 lat w wybranej próbie mieszkanców miasta sredniej wielkosci.

Tobacco smoking constitutes a common risk factor for the majority of civilization diseases, such as cardiovascular system diseases, malignant neoplasms and digestion and respiratory system disorders as well. Tobacco-related disorders relate to exacerbation of chronic diseases, for example diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Poland is one of those countries, where the prevalence of smoking is especially widespread. In Poland 42% of men and 25% of women smoke cigarettes and the amount of addicted people amounts to approximately 10 million. The latest data from the year 2003 show that the amount of cigarettes smoked by a particular citizen in Poland has risen fourfold since the beginning of 21st century. This paper presents an analysis of prevalence of tobacco smoking among inhabitants of a middle-size city in the Lodz province aged 35-55 years. The study sample comprised 124 people, including 75 females and 49 males. The tool of the research was a questionnaire survey containing questions concerning cigarette smoking. The study found out that 39.5% of respondents (41.3% of females and 36.7% of males) smoked cigarettes. The percentage of former smokers amounted to 15.3% and the percentage of non-smokers was higher than regular smokers and amounted to 44.8%. The study results showed that the majority of smokers were in the age interval of 45 to 49. Cigarette smoking influenced on smokers' health. The blood pressure and lipid balance was higher among smokers than among people who did not smoke cigarettes. The results of the conducted study confirm that there is a strong need of implementation of programmes towards limiting tobacco smoking, which may contribute to lowering the risk of tobacco-related diseases.