Trends in initiation of regular cigarette smoking in 28 European countries, 1940-2019: retrospective reconstruction from repeated cross-sectional surveys.

ABSTRACT: In the European Union (EU), one in five youth currently smoke, with over half establishing regular smoking by age 18. Yet, evidence on the historical trends of smoking initiation remains scarce despite its importance for tobacco control. Using four waves of the Special Eurobarometer survey (2012-20; n = 110 753, aged ≥15), we retrospectively estimated trends in initiation rates (IRs) of regular cigarette smoking in the EU from 1940 to 2019 among individuals aged 10-24 by sex, region, and country for each calendar decade. EU-wide smoking IRs have decreased compared to the peak period, with narrowing disparities by sex and region. For males, the IRs have declined from 5.7% (95% CI = 5.6-5.9) in the 1970s to 3.2% (95% CI = 3.0-3.3) in the 2010s, and for females from 3.9% (95% CI = 3.7-4.0) in

SUBMITTER: Teshima A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12707475 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature