Os malefícios do tabaco na infância e na adolescência

Although the negative effects of youth and adult smoking is well documented this issue has been less often addressed in childhood and adolescence. This study aimed at examining to which extent young people with early onset smoking were at increased risk of poor psychosocial outcomes in late adolescence. Additionally, extensive information was provided regarding prevalence rates and patterns of development of smoking throughout adolescence. The data came from a study, in which a large cohort of community children were followed up from elementary school until the time they were expected to graduate from secondary school. The outcome measures included emotional problems, delinquency and antisocial behaviour, substance use, educational achievement, satisfaction with life, family dynamics and general psychopathology. Results showed that cigarette smoking was already reported in elementary school and increased progressively across adolescence to become almost normative at the age of 17-18 years. Moreover, those with early onset smoking were at an increased risk of antisocial behaviour, substance use (including smoking), emotional problems, school difficulties as well as in several domains of psychopathology. However, most of these differences disappeared when we controlled for other problems such as antisocial behaviour and attention problems/hyperactivity reported by teachers in elementary school. No consistent differences were found between those with early onset smoking and late onset smoking. In short, young people who engage in early smoking seem at an increased risk of subsequent forms of maladjustment; but, with few exceptions, such adverse outcomes are better explained by other childhood factors.