Youth tobacco use in Latin America: What is the real extent of the problem?

Abstract Introduction Cigarette consumption among teenagers is one of the most critical health-related risk behaviors. Method Prospective study carried out in seven sites of five Latin American countries (Argentina [Cordoba, N  = 958, Corrientes, N  = 1013], Brazil [Curitiba, N  = 650; Uruguaiana, N  = 997], Cuba [Havana, N  = 1004], Mexico [Veracruz, N  = 991] and Paraguay [Ciudad del Este, N  = 868]) with public-school adolescents (aged 12–19 years). Respondents were asked to answer the California Student Tobacco Survey. Results 6550 adolescents took part in the survey (average age: 14 years). 38.5% ( N  = 2517) “tried smoking” and 37.5% started smoking before the age of 12. Sixty-one percent of adolescents think that cigarettes are easily accessible; 41.7% considered that smokers have more friends; 88% indicated knowledge of the harms of smoking one to five cigarettes per day; 58.9% would smoke new cigarette types with less harmful substances; 27.8% have already used e-cigarettes; 28% have smoked hookah. Fifty-seven point five percent have been, in the past seven days, in the same room with someone who was smoking a cigarette; and 30.5% indicated that there were not any no-smoking rules inside their homes. Identifiable risk factors were (logistic regression analysis): smoking cigarettes offered by friends, smoking cigarettes with less harmful substances, knowing what a hookah is, being in the same room with a smoker in the past week. Identifiable protective factors against tobacco use were: knowing the health risks caused by smoking hookah and to have their own room. Conclusion Youth tobacco use in Latin America is a major public health concern, and tobacco control measures are highly needed.