Tobacco use among Serbian youth and prevention strategies

Background information about the prevalence of smoking in youth in Serbia has drawn public attention to the issue of the social environment that influences early initiation of smoking. The purpose of this study was to differentiate the factors in the social environment that facilitate early adoption of tobacco use among youth in Serbia and to learn more about the type of support adolescents need to reject tobacco use. The methods included an extensive review of existing tobacco studies in Serbia, fifteen focus groups with youth in which participants discussed peer influences, environmental influences and the types of preventive interventions that would be most likely to succeed. Interviews with adults who work with young people either directly as parents and teachers or indirectly as individuals from governmental, nongovernmental organizations and the media provided information about past intervention efforts. Results showed that once adolescents begin to smoke, they perceive smoking as acceptable behavior with few to no consequences. Youth indicated that they are generally not included in planning or asked about what might work with their age group but are eager to be involved in efforts to lower smoking rates. Interviews indicated that interventions have been sporadic, poorly funded, and have very little evaluation of success or failure. Weak and poorly implemented tobacco control laws are enabling factors. The study provides information useful to our future efforts to work with youth and adults in Serbia on an intervention in which youth are primary participants in design and implementation.