Tobacco consumption among ninth-grade students in Chisinau, Moldova

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of the changes in the national legislation on tobacco consumption and the impact of the implementation of the National Tobacco Control Program on ninth-grade students in Chisinau, Moldova, during 2015 and 2018, as well as tobacco consumption behavior and exposure to pro-and anti-tobacco messages. METHODS The study sample consisted of the ninth-grade students from 132 schools in Chisinau, Moldova. It included 20 randomly selected schools (3 gymnasiums and 17 high schools). Data were collected using a validated self-completed questionnaire, once in October-December 2015 (n=368) and repeated in February-April 2018 (n=819). The chi-squared test was applied to compare categorical variables between the 2015 and 2018 groups. RESULTS The student participants had mean age of 14.8 +/- 0.49 years (2015) and 14.9 +/- 0.53 years (2018), and, by coincidence, both groups had 51.9% boys and 48.1% girls. However, despite the rather strict regulations on tobacco in Moldova, adolescents still report a significant increase in the prevalence of cigarette consumption in the last 30 days in the period from 2015 to 2018. In this period, anti-smoking messages increased significantly and were seen by students in shopping malls, supermarkets (35.1% in 2015 and 60.0% in 2018), cinemas (11.7% in 2015 and 36.5% in 2018), magazines and newspapers (19.3% in 2015 and 37.6% in 2018) (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Tobacco consumption among ninth-grade pupils had increased between 2015 and 2018 in Chisinau, Moldova. Adolescents represent a critical subpopulation of smokers and tobacco control experts must concentrate their efforts to reduce their exposure to pro-smoking messages and increase their exposure to anti-smoking messages (via internet, sport events, etc.).