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Background and aim: Smoking rates are decreasing in Norway while the use of snus has increased. We aimed to investigate the co-occurrence of, and the socio-demographics, personality and substance use characteristics associated with, student smoking and snus use. Methods: Survey data were collected among students in higher education in Bergen, Norway in 2015 (N = 11,236, response rate 39.4%). Multinomial regression analyses comparing snus users and smokers to non-users and non-smokers, respectively, on demographic, personality and substance use variables were conducted. Regression analyses comparing current dual users to current smokers and current snus users and comparing daily smokers to daily snus users, on demographic, personality and substance use variables were also conducted. Results: In total 67.9% of ever snus users identified themselves as non-smokers (past and current). Several demographic, personality and substance use characteristics associated with smoking and snus use were identified (all = p <. 05), some of which were common for both (e.g., use of cannabis) and some which were exclusively associated with either smoking (e.g., neuroticism) or snus use (e.g., extroversion). Conclusion: The current study contributes with several novel findings regarding traits associated with smoking and snus use. Though limited by a cross-sectional design, the current findings may suggest that the group of students using snus consists of a combination of previous smokers, students who would have smoked if snus was not available and a new segment who may not have used nicotine if snus was not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to describe the trends of smoking and snuff consumption in adolescents in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway, in the period from 1995/97 to 2006/08, with special emphasize on regional and gender differences. Method: We used data from all three waves of the Young-HUNT study, the youth part (ages 13-19 yrs) of the HUNT study, Nord- Trøndelag County, Norway. Young-HUNT 1 was conducted in 1995-97 (N=9131, 90% response rate), Young-HUNT 2 in 1999-2000 (N=2808, 80% response rate) and Young-HUNT 3 in 2006-08 (N=8601). Results: Fewer adolescents had tried smoking in Young-HUNT 3 (40.6%) compared to Young-HUNT 1 (56.5%), while the prevalence of adolescents who had tried snuff increased in the same period from 17.4% to 23.5%. The prevalence of adolescents who smoked daily or occasionally decreased between Young-HUNT 1 (girls 23.8%, boys 19.8%) and Young-HUNT 3 (girls: 14.6%, boys: 12.1%), while the prevalence of daily or occasionally snuffing increased (girls: 3.4% to 13.0% and boys: 20.2% to 23.1%). This constitutes a fourfold increase of the number of young female snuff users in little more than a decade. Occasional snuff use increased most in girls while daily snuff use increased most in boys. The same tendency was seen inn all regions, but the prevalence of tobacco use varied. Conclusion: The results demonstrate a shift from cigarette smoking to snuff use in the adolescent population between 1995 and 2008. Although a decrease in cigarette smoking occurred, the increasing snuff use makes the total tobacco consumption nearly constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snuff use and occasional smoking have to some degree replaced daily smoking among adolescents and young adults. Daily smoking is known to be negatively associated with social background factors, but little is known about these associations for other types of tobacco use. Our aim was to study different types of tobacco use among adolescents according to gender, educational ambitions, family background factors, and urbanization. Methods: Cross-sectional, school-based study with 15 931 participants and response-rate 87%, conducted among 15 and 16 year olds during 2000-2004. Results: More girls (33.8%) than boys (26.4%) were daily or occasional smokers, while more boys (21.4%) than girls (3.5%) were daily or occasional snuff users. Daily smoking was more common among adolescents planning vocational education, with single parents or poor family economy. Occasional smoking and snuff use (daily or occasionally) showed a similar, but less pronounced pattern regarding education and single parent families. Adolescents with parents from foreign countries were less likely to use tobacco. One exception was boys with parents from Muslim majority countries who had an increased risk of daily smoking. A typical combination user of both tobacco types was a Norwegian boy with divorced parents and ambitions to complete vocational studies or only one year of upper secondary school. Conclusion: Tobacco use in adolescents is mainly associated with low educational ambitions and less affluent self-reported family economy. Adolescents with divorced parents use more tobacco than those living with both parents. Public health initiatives to avoid or reduce tobacco use should mainly target adolescents in vocational studies and those leaving school early. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which examined the trends in the prevalence of smoking and snuff use among Norwegian adolescents in lower secondary school. Correlation of age, gender and survey year to cigarette smoking and snuff use; Significance of occasional smoking; Analysis of the increase in tobacco use among Norwegian youth in 1990.