According to a survey conducted by the Brazilian Ministry of Health over the past decade, tobacco use ranks second among the most commonly used drugs in the country, with smokers starting at an average age of 16. Additionally, a nationwide school health survey (PeNSE 2019) conducted with support from the Ministry of Education and in conjunction with IBGE showed an overall increase in the proportion of tobacco users among 13 to 17-year-olds (6.8% in 2019 compared to 6.6% in 2015), driven by an increase in the proportion of female smokers (6.5% in 2019 compared to 6.0% in 2015).
Many Brazilian young people begin smoking during their teenage years by imitating their friends, peer groups, and/or smoking parents due to the low barrier of access to cigarettes. According to PenSE 2019, the percentage of young students between the ages of 13 and 15 who have tried smoking at some point in their lives was also examined. Amongst boys, this percentage decreased from 19.20% in 2015 to 15.61% in 2019, while the situation was different for girls: it decreased from 18.90% in 2015 to 18.43% in 2019.
Young people are increasingly influenced by novelty and fashion, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The use of hookah is said to be more harmful than regular cigarettes, with 20 to 80 minutes of hookah use being equivalent to the exposure to all toxic substances found in 100 cigarettes. Additionally, communal hookah use and sharing with other users can lead to infections, including herpes, hepatitis C, and tuberculosis.
The situation is no different when it comes to e-cigarettes. In Brazil, the highest proportion of private high school students aged 13 to 17 experimenting with e-cigarettes took place in 2019. The Midwest region had the highest proportion of e-cigarette experimentation across Brazil, with a specialized network standing out at 24.3%. Public school students in the Northeast (10.3%) and North (11.9%) had the lowest rates of experimentation.
School Prevention
Tobacco control efforts also aim to prevent young people and adolescents from smoking. Providing specialized treatment for this often more vulnerable group, especially when new tobacco products enter the market, is crucial.
From this perspective, the connection between Sabre Saúde's plan and the School Health Plan (PSE) is one of the strategies used by the Ministry of Health to promote educational actions that help address smoking and other risk factors in school communities.
The Sabre Saúde program aims to prevent smoking by providing education and training to healthcare professionals, specifically in schools for children, teenagers, and young adults. The program focuses on promoting health and preventing smoking by using scientific information to address smoking and other risk factors in schools and local communities.
The integration between schools and primary health care (PHC) is carried out through PSE. Established by Presidential Decree No. 6286 on December 5, 2007, it includes a strategy that combines health and education to promote the overall development of students in the public basic education system. The prevention of issues related to the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs has been solidified in the history of the program as a health promotion and disease prevention activity.
Confronting Smoking
The National No Smoking Day, celebrated on August 29th, aims to raise awareness about the health risks associated with this harmful habit and to combat addiction. The commemorative day was established in 1986 to mobilize the public in addressing the social, political, economic, and environmental damage caused by tobacco.
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