DAMMAM: Around two-fifths of male secondary students in the major cities of Dammam, Dhahran and Alkhobar in the Eastern Province are chain smokers due to psychological pressures and family problems, a study has found.
The Saudi Welfare Organization to Combat Smoking and the region’s Department of Education conducted the research, which surveyed 1,850 male students in 13 schools.
The study said over a quarter of respondents first smoked at elementary school. Over 17 percent started smoking at intermediate school and 1.5 percent in the first year of secondary school.
It said almost two-fifths of imams in the region had repeatedly spoken about the hazards of smoking in their Friday sermons although 22 percent of them had lectured on it only once.
The study also revealed around two-fifths of respondents did not believe that smoking was bad for them, while 84 percent believed passive smoking was more harmful. Two-thirds said it was a waste of money.
The report said around 30 percent of the student smokers had no idea to quit, while 19 percent of them said they might try after graduating from secondary school. Four percent said it was possible they might give up after graduating from university.
It also revealed about 90 percent of non-smoking students said they avoided cigarettes because of the health risks, while 85 percent attributed this to religion.
