The Prevalence of Smokeless Tobacco and Cigarette Use Among Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grade Students: A Longitudinal Investigation

Few studies have reported on the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use among young children in Canada, although research conducted in the United States indicates a rising trend in smokeless tobacco use among school-aged children. We report on rates of smokeless tobacco experimentation and current use and its relationship to cigarette smoking in a large sample of students followed from Grade 6 through Grade 8 in Calgary, Canada. The rates of smokeless tobacco experimentation and use reported are low in comparison to the corresponding prevalence reported in the American findings. In accordance with the American findings, however, both experimentation and current use of smokeless tobacco were more prevalent among males. Also, a high correspondence between smokeless tobacco and cigarette use was observed. Cette étude décrit les taux d'essai et d'utilisation habituelle des produits de tabac sans-fumée et les compare à l'utilisation de la cigarette dans une cohorte d'écoliers de Calgary observés entre les sixième et huitième années de leur scolarité. La consommation du tabac sansfumée est plus basse que celle observée chez des écoliers américains. Dans les deux pays, l'essai et l'adoption du tabac sans-fumée sont plus fréquents chez les garçons et restent étroitement associés à la consommation de cigarettes.