Knowledge and Practice Regarding Tobacco Use Among Pharmacy Undergraduate Students in Lima, Peru

The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge and the practices regarding tobacco consumption in pharmacy students according to their demographic and academic characteristics. The sample consisted of 276 (55.2%) pharmacy students of a Peruvian Private University to whom the "Global Youth Tobacco Survey" (GYTS) was applied. In men, the prevalence of lifetime use of tobacco of 93.7%, of alcohol 70.8% and of illegal drugs 14.1% was identified. The prevalence of lifetime and current consumption of tobacco in the sample was very high. The majority of students began using drugs at 16 years old. There was a strong association between the consumption of tobacco and the fact that at least one of the parents smoked and the exposure to smoke inside the home.