Preliminary evaluation of the school-smoking-prevention policy in Greece

Abstract

Sirs, Cigarette smoking among adolescents is one of the leading health indicators that reflect major health concerns at the European Union. Greece's leading position on cigarette smoking among its European partners forced the Hellenic Ministry of Health and Welfare to assume tobacco-control programs, introducing smoke-free zones, smoking-cessation centres, and an intense promotional strategy against smoking.1 Among the primary target populations were the school students by the introduction, in 1997, of the school-smoking-prevention policy (implementation of smoke-free policies on school property, strict enforcement of these policies, incorporation of anti-tobacco education into the curriculum), in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education.2 The primary objective of this report was the …