On 2017 May 02, Zvi Herzig commented:

The authors note, "Observed trends require confirmation in a larger nationally representative sample". This has become possible with Poland's Social Diagnosis data (http://diagnoza.com/index-en.html).

The national data indicates that sharp declines in youth smoking have occurred during the present study's duration.

Below are the are smoking rates for ages 16-24, as reported in the 2013 (p. 249) and the 2015 (p. 284) Social Diagnosis reports:

year: smoking (%)

2000: 22.7

2003: 23.3

2005: 21.4

2007: 22.7

2009: 21.6

2011: 19.4

2013: 18.1

2015: 15.5

The differences between this local study and the national trend may reflect the fact that only 13 of the 25 schools surveyed have participated in both the 2010-11 and the 2013-14 surveys.

On 2017 May 02, Zvi Herzig commented:

The authors note, "Observed trends require confirmation in a larger nationally representative sample". This has become possible with Poland's Social Diagnosis data (http://diagnoza.com/index-en.html).

The national data indicates that sharp declines in youth smoking have occurred during the present study's duration.

Below are the are smoking rates for ages 16-24, as reported in the 2013 (p. 249) and the 2015 (p. 284) Social Diagnosis reports:

year: smoking (%)

2000: 22.7

2003: 23.3

2005: 21.4

2007: 22.7

2009: 21.6

2011: 19.4

2013: 18.1

2015: 15.5

The differences between this local study and the national trend may reflect the fact that only 13 of the 25 schools surveyed have participated in both the 2010-11 and the 2013-14 surveys.