Cigarette smoking and school culture : An analysis of smoking at a high school according to different variables

This research aims to analyse the smoking status of students and teachers at a high school and their mental images in relation to cigarette smoking according to different variables. In this way, it will be possible to be informed of school culture formed about smoking. This is a descriptive research using the survey model. The research group was composed of 537 students attending a high school and 41 teachers. The research data were collected with a form. Data collected were analysed by means of descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. The findings obtained demonstrated that smoking had increased according to grade levels. Accordingly, boys smoked more than girls. 27% of the teachers were smokers. It was found that teachers as well as students had positive metaphors about smoking. Based on these conclusions, it may be stated that smoking has become a school culture in that school.


Introduction
Smoking is at the top of harmful habits which are increasing day by day [1,2].Cigarette smoking, threatening non-smokers as well as smokers, is one of the considerable factors in millions of people's loss of their life in the world each year.According to World Health Organisation, a person dies of smoking every 13 seconds in the world [3].Research has shown that passive smoking is as dangerous as smoking [4,5].To exemplify, several diseases such as cardiac diseases, stomach ulcer, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), emphysema and cancer can develop in individuals who are exposed to cigarette smoke for 30 minutes.
Tobacco product humans consume the most is cigarette [6].Studies report that smoking and alcohol drinking is common among young people [7,8].Young people's inclination to substance addiction forms prepares the ground for starting smoking, drinking alcohol or using drug.The period when young people try smoking and when they are most biased towards tobacco addiction is adolescence [7].Adolescence is an important period for a Corresponding author: cgercek@hacettepe.edu.trhttps://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20184801006ERPA 2018 This research is important in that it analyses students' and teachers' smoking at a high school and their mental images about smoking as a whole according to different variables.By determining teachers' and students' mental images about smoking, it will also be possible to be informed of school culture in terms of smoking.Thus, it is thought that important knowledge will be offered in primary prevention activities within this research.

Aim of the Research
This research aims to analyse the smoking status of students and teachers at a high school and their mental images in relation to cigarette smoking according to different variables.In line with this purpose, the research seeks answers to the following questions: 1.

Methodology
This is a descriptive research in survey model.Descriptive studies try to describe actions, groups and institutions in a period of time in terms of "what happens" and "how it happens" [22].

Research group
The research group was composed of 537 students attending a high school in Ankara in 2015-2016 academic year and 41 teachers.Of the students, 307 (57%) were girls while 230 (43%) were boys.144 of them (26%) were the prep class students while 142 (26%) were 9th graders, 128 (24%) were 10th graders, 81 (15%) were 11th graders and 42 (9%) were 12th graders.Of the teachers, on the other hand, 26 (65%) were female while 15 (35%) were male.The data were collected with a form having received the necessary permission.The form consisted of 3 parts.Part 1 contained demographic properties (age, gender, grade level); Part 2 contained smoking status, where they first started smoking, the number of cigarettes smoked a day; and Part 3 contained metaphors about smoking and questions about the reasons.
A meeting was held with the researcher and the teachers during the applications.A 20minute presentation entitled "Smoking and Life" was made in the meeting.25 slides and 2 videos were presented during the 20-minute presentation, and then a 10-minute discussion was held with teachers on "teachers as models" and "smoking prohibition at schools".

Data Analysis
The data were analysed in percentages, frequencies and in Chi-square.The topics discussed in the meeting with teachers were noted down.The notes taken were presented to teachers' confirmation for reliability.

Findings
Whether or not there were any significant differences between students' smoking status according to grade levels was tested with chi square analysis.Because the data for smoking status and grade levels did not have normal distribution, Chi Square test, which was a non-parametric test, was administered.Accordingly, smoking status differed significantly according to grade levels [X2=83.894;sd:16; p<0.01].Thus, smoking increased as the grade level increased (Table1).

Table 1. The distribution of students' smoking status in percentages
Students' smoking status on the basis of gender was examined in accordance with the first research problem.The issue was analysed with Chi square test-a nonparametric testsince the data did not have normal distribution.Accordingly, smoking status differed significantly according to gender.It was found that boys smoked more than girls [X2=22.010;sd:4; p<0.01].
Detailed examination of students' smoking status according to gender showed that 165 (54%) of the girls and 109 (49%) of the boys did not smoke.On the other hand, 64 (22%) of the girls and 59 (26%) of the boys said that they smoked.25 (8%) of the girls and 29 (13%) of the boys said that they used to smoke but that they no longer smoked.528 students in total-305 of whom were girls and 223 of whom were boys-answered this question.In relation to the question about the place where they first smoked, 95 (18%) of the students said that they first smoked at a meeting with friends, 61 (11%) said they first smoked at school, 55 (10%) said they first smoked somewhere else (in the dormitory room, in a relative's house, in the street, on the car) and 35 (6%) said they first smoked at home.In relation to the number of cigarettes they smoked a day, 82 students said that they smoked 12 cigarettes a day on average while 12 students said that they smoked 25 cigarettes a week.
In line with the second research problem, teachers' smoking status was analysed.Accordingly, it was found that 13 teachers (32%) said that they had never smoked so far, 8 (19%) said they had tried smoking once in their life, 7 (17%) said they had smoked occasionally but then gave up smoking, 4 (10%) said they sometimes smoked but fewer than one a day on average, and 7 (17%) said that he/she was a regular smoker-which meant at least one cigarette a day. 2 teachers (5%) did not answer the question.6 teachers smoked 14 cigarettes a day on average whereas 4 teachers smoked 6 cigarettes a week on average.
In line with the third research problem, teachers' and students' metaphors about smoking were analysed, and the reasons for those metaphors were also examined.

Conclusion and discussion
Smoking is the behaviour which is believed at childhood and youth that it will make individuals appear more mature and adult.The risky developmental period to start using substances is adolescence and young adult period [23].Students' smoking status on the basis of gender and grade levels was evaluated in this research in accordance with the first research problem.The results indicated that boys smoked more than girls.Global Youth Tobacco research found that smoking prevalence was higher among male participants than among female participants [12].Thus, the findings are similar.It may be stated that the rate of smoking rises in parallel to the rise in grade levels.The places where students smoked for the first time were the meeting place with friends, school and other (namely-dormitory, room, relatives' house, streets and car) mostly according to the participants' statements.It was found that students smoked at least 3 cigarettes a day.Having smokers in a family or in the immediate neighbourhood, psycho-social factors, imitation and social pressure play important roles in one's starting smoking [9,24,25].Young people identify their feelings of freedom and independence in particular with smoking.Gender, age, whether or not family members smoke, family income and circle of friends are important factors in starting smoking [8].Hence, children learn smoking habit from their parents, peers and social environment [26].The most important factor in causing addiction to smoking is the social environment and circle of friends in early youth [27].In addition to that, taking one as a role model, imitation and curiosity also encourage adolescents to smoke.Peer education in activities of struggling with smoking in schools is important for this reason [11,28].
On evaluating teachers' smoking status, it was found that the rate of those who had started smoking and had still been smoking was 3 times as high as the rate of those who had never smoked.It was found that those teachers smoked 14 cigarettes a day on average.Research has shown that teaching is a profession in which burnout level is high [29].This finding makes us think that this is an important factor in starting smoking and in continuing smoking.Teachers stated in meetings with them that they obeyed smoking prohibition in school and in the school garden.However, they said that they smoked during breaks a few metres away outside the school gate.They said that students would not take them as role models even if they saw them smoking.Yet, would it be right to think that students will not take their teachers-who teach that smoking is harmful and forbidden at school-as role models [30,31] after seeing them smoking?Or can we think that what they have learnt will be turned into gains?It should not be forgotten that students are biased to take teachers as role models and that they internalise the behaviours which are displayed rather than the behaviours which are taught.Such factors are important in the formation of school culture in relation to smoking.

SHS Web of
It was found that teachers and students had positive and negative metaphors about smoking that students' positive metaphors were fewer than the negative ones but that they were more than they should be.Teachers' reasons for their positive metaphors were as in the following: relaxing in a different way, sharing their loneliness and moving them away by keeping them busy.Students' reasons included the following: soothing, eliminating stress, making happy, being an instrument of focusing and controlling, removing the problems/sorrows, hindering putting on weight, being a life style and confidant.Students' statements such as "it has worldwide value", "ıt is the most beautiful and relaxing thing in the world", when I do not have what I feel I need, it replaces them", "it is the thing which is beside me when I feel empty and it is the thing that makes me feel numb", "it is a therapy at hard times" were important.Teachers' and students' negative statements such as "its smell disturbs me most", "I feel addicted to and captured by it", "we cannot breathe", you cannot give up once you start smoking", "it is simple and enjoyable death", "first it relaxes you, it seems as if it eliminated your problems.But then causes waste of large amounts of money and health problems", "I sometimes smoked when I was bored but I saw no benefits of smoking" there is a cure but you sometimes cannot get rid of I", "it gives harm without making you feel", and "although smoking has no benefits, young people smoke because they imitate others and smoking is deceptive" show that they have adequate knowledge about the issue.Studies conducted also demonstrated that smokers and non-smokers were knowledgeable about smoking [32,33,34].
1. What is the smoking status of students according to gender and grade levels?2. 2. What is the smoking status of teachers?3. 3. What are the students' and teachers' positive and negative metaphors for smoking and what ae the reasons for this?

Table 2
19ows the metaphors teachers and students created about smoking.Accordingly, teachers created 5 positive and19negative metaphors and one neutral metaphor.Students created 70 positive metaphors, 84 negative metaphors and 8 neutral metaphors.It reminds me of the treachery of life.It is simple but enjoyable death.Most people start smoking to be accepted by their friends or with their encouragement, and they cannot say "no".First it relaxes you, it seems as if it eliminated all your problems.But then causes SHS Web of Conferences 48, 01006 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20184801006ERPA 2018 waste of large amounts of money and health problems.Some foolish children spend their spare time smoking because they have nothing to do.Nobody entering into this darkness can reach the daylight.I sometimes smoked when I was bored, but I saw no benefits of smoking.There is a cure but you sometimes cannot get rid of it.I know it is poisonous and I know what illness it causes.I had a violent cough when I tried smoking, it also tastes bad.Smoking is the most dangerous weapon in the world.Most of the adolescents' smoke just to show off.It separates one from his/her beloved ones around him/her.It affects my physical activities.It is unnecessary and harmful addiction.It is clearly one's attempt at killing oneself.It gives harm to individuals financially and medically.It is harmful in every respect; even trying once can make one feel guilty.It is the starting point of every bad habit (of addiction) You lose something at every inhaling It kills hundreds of people every year.
NegativeIt causes addiction and you cannot quit even if you want to.Neutral It does not make much sense to me.It is meaningless.It has no contributions to me.You cannot compare it to something else.It is both nice and harmful.