Smoking Among Students: Concerning Data and Future Health Threats

Troubling data on smoking among students were presented during a Round Table for urgent action against the nicotine crisis in Bulgaria. A study shows that 26.6% of students use tobacco products, including heated tobacco products. The event was organized by the Coalition for a Life Without Tobacco and Nicotine (Say No) in partnership with the WHO.

The global GYTS (Global Youth Tobacco Survey) for 2023, conducted by the National Center for Public Health and Analyses, covers students aged 13-15 years. The results show that the percentage of girls who use tobacco is higher than that of boys: 33% of girls use any kind of tobacco, while for boys this percentage is 20.4%.

23.6% of students currently smoke tobacco, with 19.8% of them smoking cigarettes, and 20.5% using heated tobacco products. The use of smokeless tobacco is lower - 2.9% of students use it. The data also reports a high use of e-cigarettes - 23.3% of students. It is observed that almost six out of every 10 students who smoke tobacco have tried to quit in the last 12 months, and over 40% of them want to quit.

The Round Table also addressed the problem of passive smoking: 54.7% of students have been exposed to tobacco smoke at home, and 62.7% - in public places. 46.2% of students have purchased cigarettes from various commercial establishments. A large part of the students support the ban on smoking in public places (78.7%).

Assist. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Sabev from the Institute for Economic Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences drew attention to the financial burden of smoking on households. The data show that 52.3% of households have expenses for tobacco in 2024. The average share of the budget allocated for tobacco is 7.6%. Low-income households allocate the most – 8.2% of their budget for tobacco. Dr. Sabev warned of a potential increase in the prices of tobacco products with the introduction of minimum rates by the European Commission in 2026, which would lead to an increase in the price of a pack of cigarettes to over 11 leva.