There is a common belief that knowledge of the harmful effects of smoking is well known to all members of the population, both smokers and non-smokers. Despite of this, the high percentage of the population has a limited amount of information in this area. Teachers are a group, which is responsible for spreading the knowledge on health behavior. However, to be able to effectively conduct educational activities they must have adequate preparation in this regard. The aim of the study was to investigate knowledge about the dangers of tobacco and the preparation of school employees to teach on the issue of smoking among students.
Material and methods: During the period from November 2014 and May 2015 the survey was conducted among all teachers working in 60 schools in Piotrkowski county. The study used a questionnaire adapted from the study Global School Personnel Survey (GSPS). The filled in questionnaires were returned by 1044 teachers.
Results: Despite many years of educational activities about the harmful consequences of smoking tobacco 3.5% of the respondents claimed that smoking does not cause serious diseases, while 3.7% of respondents declared their lack of knowledge on the subject. 40% of teachers reported that they are inadequately prepared to teach on tobacco control. It is necessary to implement community- based education programs aimed at increasing the knowledge of the health consequences of smoking tobacco. There is a need to implement free, professional training on tobacco issues for teachers to prepare them to carry out effective anti-tobacco activities among children and adolescents.