Smoking status of teachers and their opinions about the law numbered 5727

THE AIM:

To learn the teachers’ opinion about the law and rise the smoking cessation rate.

METHOD:

A questionnaire was applied to all high school teachers in Denizli. According to the answers, the ones who want to quit tobacco and participate in training against tobacco were determined.

RESULTS:

When results of the questionnaires were evaluated, there was 43.6 % (n: 451) female , 56.4 % (n: 583) male and the mean age was 40.37 ± 7.5. The teachers’ smoking prevelance was 25.8%. Smoking prevalence in females was 21.1% ( n:95), in males it was 29.5 % (n: 172) (p=0.002). 73.4 % of male and 58.9 % of female had used tobacco at least once (p=0.000) .

Although there was not a significant difference about smoking cessation desire and smoking cessation trying number in both sexes, both were higher in men respectively.(78.4% , 3.06 ± 2.89).

There was a significant difference between the two sexes (p=0.000) about mean age of starting smoking in female (20.81 ± 3.82) compared with male (18.69 ± 4.28), mean of smoking years in female (16.42 ± 6.48) compared with male (20.98 ± 8.52) and mean of smoking cigarettes number in a day in female (10.90±7.84) compared with male (18.14±10.33).

The questions about the legislation were answered by teachers. 86.4% of them supported the legislation, 8.2% of them didn’t and 5.4% of them had no idea.

CONCLUSION:

This study is from the data of a thesis which explores the variation of cessation rates after training about harm of smoking. When compared with previous studies, smoking rate was lower in our city (Konya %36.2, Manisa %40.7, Elazig %42.2).

Comprehensive smoking bans can improve the public's health