Smoking among Casablanca Dental Students:Behaviors, Attitudes, and Implications

Introduction: Smoking is a major public health concern, particularly in developing countries. This study aims to evaluate the behaviors and attitudes of dental students toward tobacco use. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 268 students at the Faculty of Dental Medicine in Casablanca. Data were collected using a standardized, self-administered questionnaire based on a validated instrument. Descriptive statistics were used for the data analysis. Results: The smoking rate among students was 10.07%, with a higher rate observed among males. Smoking typically begins around the age of 16 and is frequently associated with stress. Among current smokers, 33% had a high level of nicotine dependency. Although most students recognized the harmful effects of tobacco, only 38.8% were aware of national anti-smoking legislation. Discussion: Despite their overall awareness of the health risks associated with tobacco use, dental students showed limited involvement in tobacco prevention. These findings underscore the need to enhance training programs and promote the engagement of future healthcare professionals in tobacco control initiatives. Conclusion: Despite the students’ knowledge of the harmful effects of tobacco, this study advocates integrating structured tobacco control training into dental education and reinforcing evidence-based public health strategies.