Twenty percent of German teens smoke

BERLIN, April 24 (UPI) -- As many as 20 percent of Germans ages 11 to 17 smoke, researchers say.

The German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents, conducted by the Robert Koch Institute of almost 7,000 girls and boys ages 11 to 17, found friends and the type of school the youths attend have greater influence on smoking behavior than do their parents.

Thomas Lampert said the probability that an adolescent starts smoking is markedly greater when his or her friends smoke but the risk is hardly increased if the child's parents smoke.

The researchers also found that students at general secondary schools, intermediate schools or comprehensive schools smoke much more frequently than do students at high school.

The proportion of girls who smoke is similar to those of boys but girls smoke fewer cigarettes. The average age of starting is between 13 and 14 years for both sexes.

The findings are published in Deutsches Aerzteblatt International.