近年來台灣成人吸菸率下降趨緩，青少年吸菸率卻上升，多數吸菸者第一次吸菸即始於青少年時期。
國民健康局為有效降低吸菸率，自2009年施行菸害防制法修正版。本研究以就讀於新營市青少年為對象，進行該市學生的吸菸相關調查，包括吸菸行為、吸菸態度、二手菸暴露狀況與對菸害及菸害防制法之認知。本研究採橫斷式，根據文獻與吸菸態度量表設計問卷，母體為新營市國、高中生。共發出538份，回收528份，有效回收率為98.1%。
研究顯示17.4%的青少年曾經吸菸，有吸菸的男生比女生多(26.7%與6.6%，p<0.001)，國中生的吸菸比率高於高中生(19.6%與11.4%，p<0.05)；而開始吸菸的平均年齡為11.2歲。第一次吸菸的原因以好奇居多。暴露於二手菸最顯著的地方是在家庭，同住親友有吸菸的比例高達61.9%，最主要的吸菸親人為父親。
女生對於菸害防制法認知與吸菸態度皆比男生正向、高中比國中良好、從未吸菸者較吸菸者態度正
向。多數青少年非常贊同公共場所全面禁菸。有吸煙經驗的青少年對菸害防制法的認同感與認識都較低、對吸菸的正確態度較差，而且對菸害的認知較低，因此需要特別加強曾吸煙經驗的青少年的教育，提升對菸害的認知並強化對吸菸的正確態度，以免成人之後持續吸菸行為。調查顯示第一次吸菸年齡已下降至國小，建議菸害教育應從小學高年級即開始加強。

The numbers of smoker in Taiwan declined gradually in recent years; however, adolescent smoking is increasing.
Most smokers admitted that for the first time they tried smoking was in their adolescence. To suppress smoking effectively, a new law was launched on January 11, 2009 by Bureau of Health Promotion (BHP) namely Tobacco
Hazards Prevention Act (THPA). The objective of this study is to investigate the adolescent, who enrolled in Junior/Senior High Schools in Sinying City, for their smoking behavior, cognition and understanding of THPA, smoking attitude, tobacco hazards cognitive attitudes, and related issues about tobacco control.
Cross-sectional study was carried out by a structured questionnaire which was designed according to reviewing relevant literature references, Attitudes Towards Smoking Scale (ATS) and the Provisions of THPA. The survey was carried out in two junior and senior high schools in Sinying City. 538 questionnaires were issued and the valid ones were 528 (98.1%).
The results showed that 17.4% adolescents had smoking experience. Boys had significantly higher smoking rate than girls (26.7% vs. 6.6%, p<0.001). Smoking rate of junior high school students were higher than that of senior high (19.6 % vs.11.4%, p<0.05). The average age of initial smoking was 11.2 year-old. The main reason for smoking was curiosity. Up to 61.9% students were lived with smoking relatives, who were mostly their fathers.
Adolescents with smoking experience had more second hand smoke exposure than nonsmokers at home. Girls, Junior high school students, or nonsmokers were more positive in Smoking Attitude. Most students agreed that the
implementation and effect of new THPA were fair, only 20.2% recognized as good. Smokers had lower cognition of THPA, poor knowledge of tobacco hazard, and were more negative in Smoking Attitude.
According to these results, tobacco control education for adolescent is highly required to prevent the persistence of smoking. Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act should be reinforced in elementary school since the experience of smoking was initiated under age 12.