Cigarette smoking and educational level among young Israelis upon release from military service in 1988--a public health challenge.

The prevalence of cigarette smoking was determined in a representative sample of Israeli men and women mostly aged 20-22, upon release from military service. In this sample, 47.5% of the men and 30% of the women reported themselves to be current smokers, and 46% and 26% respectively to be current regular smokers. Of the current smokers 80% of the men and 74% of the women took up smoking before entering military service. Educational level at recruitment was strongly associated with age at uptake of smoking, the prevalence of smoking and the number of cigarettes currently smoked per day. Ethnic differences in smoking prevalence after controlling for education were relatively small. Men and women with less than or equal to 11 years of schooling reported twice the smoking prevalence of those with greater than or equal to 12 years, 71 vs. 35% current smokers in men and 56% vs. 26% current smokers in women respectively. Heavy smoking of greater than or equal to 20 cigarettes per day was reported by 51% and 30% of less educated men and women, respectively, compared with 17% and 9% respectively of those with greater than or equal to 12 years of schooling. We conclude that intervention programs directed toward the prevention of uptake of smoking in adolescents should receive high public health priority in Israel, with special emphasis on adolescents prior to military service and focusing on the more susceptible segments of the young population.