Smoking in White high-school children in Cape Town.

A questionnaire was completed by 1716 White high-school children in Cape Town as part of an investigation into the smoking habits and respiratory symptoms in South African schoolchildren. Of the children surveyed 51% had never smoked, 28% claimed to be ex-smokers and 21% were smoking at the time of the survey. The average cigarette consumption by current smokers was 170 cigarettes per month, and 39% of smokers smoked more than 150 cigarettes per month; 71.3% admitted to inhaling. Peer influence was the single most important determinant of the smoking habit. Chronic cough and sputum production, symptoms suggesting asthma, dyspnoea on exertion, and a parental history of lung disease were all more common in ex-smokers and current smokers than in children who had never smoked.