MONITORING OF HARMFUL FACTORS, DYNAMICS AND TRENDS OF SMOKING AMONG UKRAINIAN YOUTH

Abstract

The peculiarities of tobacco smoking among pupils and students in Cherkasy have been researched. The prevalence of electronic cigarette use among Cherkasy youth is analyzed and a comparative analysis of toxicological components of nicotine-containing and nicotine-free mixtures in modern electronic smoking devices is conducted. The prevalence of the habit of using electronic cigarettes among student youth of Cherkasy universities is relatively small, although the experience of one-time vaping is high. The main reasons for using electronic cigarettes are curiosity and confidence in the relative safety of using modern electronic smoking devices. Some students consider it a safe alternative to using classic cigarettes. The use of e-cigarettes is more common among working youth. Among the reasons for the formation of the habit of smoking among pupils, the following stand out: the opportunity to perceive oneself as an adult, social environment, parents' smoking. Most students smoke to relieve stress, in companies, at work. Information about the content of cartridges and their safety is sought mainly through advertising, or when communicating in social networks, among student groups. One in five respondents were not at all interested in information about the safety of vaping, as their curiosity was satisfied by a onetime experience of using a vape. The spread of electronic cigarettes among young people is influenced by the relatively high price of electronic gadgets, which not every student can afford. The contents of vape cartridges contain many carcinogenic substances. The concentration of all these compounds increases several times when the electronic cigarette is overheated. All vape-gadgets for heating contain nicotine, the amount of which is not much less than its content in ordinary cigarettes. Smoking smokeless tobacco also increases the risk of cancer, diseases of the oral cavity, esophagus, as well as regular cigarettes.