On the results of the coordinated state policy in the field of tobacco control among young people

Introduction. Trend analysis of tobacco consumption rates is important for assessing the effectiveness of national tobacco control measures in Belarus.

Materials and methods. The study aims to monitor tobacco smoking among adolescents in Belarus by three repeat national cross sectional surveys conducted before and after introduction the regulatory act tobacco measures entered into force. Prevalence of smoking tobacco, cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and other aspects related to smoking among 13–15 years adolescents were estimated from the 2004, 2015 and 2021 Global Youth Tobacco (GYT) Surveys (n = 4523, n = 2992, n = 3493 respectively) conducted in Belarus.

Results. The data evidenced a successful anti-tobacco policy and an improvement in the tobacco consumption and tobacco consumption by 13–15 years adolescents, expressed in reduction of many indicators. Prevalence of current cigarettes smokers significantly decreased from 26.5% in 2004 to 4.7% in 2021. Despite of current reduction of various types of tobacco smokers current GYTS data revealed that electronic cigarettes are extremely popular among adolescents — around 15%. The number of smokeless tobacco users significantly increased by 3 times.

Limitations. In order to study the tobacco consumption levels and other aspects related to smoking a survey of 11,000 adolescent students in 2004, 2015 and 2021 was conducted among schoolchildren (13–15 years old), which is a sufficient reference sample.

Conclusions. Thus, the identified positive trends in tobacco smoking (5-fold reduction in the number of cigarette smokers, decrease in susceptibility to smoking, reducing the number of tobacco products smokers and decrease the number of ever tobacco smokers and ever cigarette smokers, decreasing the number of frequent cigarette smokers) indicated the effectiveness of a complex multidisciplinary anti-tobacco measures in Belarus. New challenges and negative trends were determined. Amount of electronic cigarettes users were significantly greater than current cigarette smokers’ amount. Moreover, prevalence of users of smokeless tobacco products is getting increased. Despite of extensive legislative framework for the tobacco control there remains substantial potential to strengthen them.

Compliance with ethical standards: the Local ethics committee of the Republican unitary enterprise «Scientific and Practical Centre of Hygiene» of the Ministry of Health.

Patient consent. Each participant of the study (or his/her legal representative) gave informed voluntary written consent to participate in the study and publish personal medical information in an impersonal form in the journal "Gigiena i Sanitariya (Hygiene and Sanitation, Russian journal)".

Contribution:
Sychik S.I. — editing the concept and design of the study, editing the text, integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version;
Pronina T.N. — collection and processing of material, statistical processing, writing a text. All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgement. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: September 20, 2022 / Accepted: December 8, 2022 / Published: March 25, 2023