(refiling with new picture).
Italy has the highest
rate of teenage smokers in Europe, according to a study released
by the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs
(ESPAD) on Tuesday.
The report said that 37% of Italian aged 15 or 16 smoked
in 2015, compared to an average of 21% for the 35 countries
surveyed.
Italy was followed by Bulgaria and Croatia (33%), while
Iceland (6%) and Norway (10%) had the lowest rates.
Italy also bucked the trend when it came to the age at
which youngsters smoked their first cigarette.
While the percentage of those who first light up before
their 13th birthday fell sharply in 31 of the 35 countries,
"Cyprus, France, Italy and Romania represent an exception", the
report said.
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