Health starts a contest in the institutes to help prevent the onset of tobacco use.

-a total of 1,493 students that participate in the ninth edition of the competition class smoke-free

-almost 10% of young people smoking daily against the double of a decade ago

Spain, March of 2013- a total of 1,493 pupils of first and second from compulsory secondary education (ESO) participate in the present school year in the ninth edition of the smoke-free classthat organizes the Health Ministry to prevent the onset of smoking in young people, and promote healthy lifestyle habits. Studies confirm that 90% of smokers start in smoking during adolescence, and the average age of home around age 13.

Smoke-free class competition is carried out in 59 kinds of centers that distributed by the community of Madrid, with the commitment of students and teachers to remain without smoking during the present school year, and at the same time, to develop awareness-raising activities, following a didactic teacher guide. Tasks include the development of a comic book, collages, hobbies and technological activities.

The competition concludes with the elaboration of a slogan alluding to the prevention of tobacco use and the delivery of prizes to the winning classes coinciding with the May 31, world no tobacco day.

This contest is part of a European project for the prevention of tobacco on young people from 12 to 13 years, and as a program in the prevention strategy at the beginning of the consumption of tobacco in the community of Madrid. Since its launch, in 2004, a total of 14,577 students in 165 schools have participated in this program of awareness about smoking.

The Ministry of health intends to intensify the actions of prevention of smoking among the youth, and school population as provided for in the Plan strategic of the disease pulmonary obstructive chronic (COPD) of the Madrid 2012-2013, presented this month.

Downward trend

The evolution of the proportion of young people from 15 to 16 years who smoke remains a decline since 1996, as shown by data from the surveillance system, factors of risk associated to non-communicable diseases (SIVFRENT), aimed at the youth population, which measures the lifestyles related to health in order to establish priorities and strategies of intervention since 1996on, and coordinates the General direction of primary health care, through the service of epidemiology of the Sub-Directorate of health promotion and prevention.

According to the latest information from the SIVFRENT in 2011 9.8% (respondents) youth smoke daily, a figure that is very similar in women (9.9%) and men (9.6%). Shown in 2011, for the first time in the period under study (1996-2011), a nearly identical prevalence in both sexes.

Both boys and girls, the trend in the prevalence of daily smokers is falling since 1996. If we compare average daily consumption of the last two years (2010 / 2011) against the first two (1996 / 1997), there is a percentage decrease of 60.4% in boys and 61.2% in girls.