Background: Most tobacco users become addicted during adolescence. In Brazil, smoking prevalence among teenagers varies from 1% to 35%. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of smoking among teenagers, aged from 13 to 20, in fundamental and high school in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Method: Cross-sectional exploratory study. Thirty five hundred questionnaires were applied to students at fundamental and high school in five schools at the metropolitan region of Salvador (BA). Statistical analysis: descriptive and associative measurements (Prevalence Rate), Student's t and qui-square tests. Results: Smoking prevalence among teenagers in Salvador (BA) was 9.6%, considering 3,180 valid questionnaires. The frequency was higher in males (14%) than in females (6%). The prevalence increased with age. The mean age ± SD for tobacco initiation was 14 ± 2 years. Among the teenagers, 46% tried cigarettes, and 20% became addicted. The frequency was higher among teenagers whose parents were smokers. The mean ± SD number of daily cigarettes smoked by adolescent tobacco users (n = 132) was 7.4 (± 6.4) units per day, with a higher frequency among boys. Conclusion: Smoking prevalence in a selected set of adolescent students in Salvador (BA) was 9.6%, and it was higher among males. Parental smoking and cigarette experimentation were the major factor found to be associated to tobacco addiction among teenagers.

Keywords: Smoking/epidemiology. Adolescents. Students. Tobacco.