AbstractPurposeThe aim of the study was to assess the familiarity of adolescents with e-cigarettes. We performed a survey to investigate the frequency of their contact with e-cigarettes, beliefs about this sort of smoking (vaping), and their real knowledge of its effects.MethodsThe survey was carried out among 1600 high school students in the USA, Israel, Ukraine and Australia. The questionnaire comprised three parts, each with five questions. The first part was designed to assess the frequency of contact with the phenomenon. The second part assessed misconceptions and opinions concerning vaping. The third part questioned the participants’ real knowledge of the subject.ResultsOut of a maximum score of 5, the average score of 4.25 for Part 1 indicated that the participants had frequent contact with e-cigarettes. The score of 3.65 for Part 2 showed that adolescents have both right and wrong beliefs on the subject. Part 3 was completed by 1224 participants (76.5%) while 376 (23.5%) reported a lack of any specific knowledge about vaping. The average score of 3.33 demonstrated that adolescents who completed Part 3 of the survey have incomplete knowledge about e-cigarettes. For the whole cohort of 1600 participants, the average score was 2.80. No significant sex differences were detected. The Ukranian participants had poor knowledge about the dangers of vaping in comparison with the participants in the USA and Australia (p = 0.03).ConclusionWhile the contact of adolescents with e-cigarettes users is extensive, their actual knowledge remains inadequate. Various school-based smoking risk campaigns face a necessity for further adjustments and improvements.

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BACKGROUND: We investigated adolescents' feelings of thermal comfort during the educational process in various geographical locations far apart and present recommendations for the adjustment of the thermal environment in schools. METHODS: The prospective international multicenter study took place in 8 locations on different continents. The survey in the form of a questionnaire was carried out among 2800 healthy high school students. The study was divided into ''cold season survey,'' ''warm-season survey,'' and heat wave survey. RESULTS: The statistically significant difference between the ''cold season survey'' score of 4.04 (discomfort) and ''warm-season survey'' score of 3.47 (slight discomfort) (p = .04) indicates that students feel more thermal discomfort during winter months in all 8 locations. The heat wave survey score was 4.53 (discomfort). During the cold season, 29.24% of high school students felt themselves in full thermal comfort and 76.48% of the students felt themselves relatively comfortable (slightly cool-comfortable-slightly warm). CONCLUSIONS: Even during the ongoing process of climate change, the cold season discomfort remains the main problem for students in classes. This tendency is present in different continents as a universal problem. We recommend keeping an entrance hall and classroom temperatures at different levels and to advise students about proper clothing.