Validity of self reports in a cohort of Swedish adolescent smokers and smokeless tobacco (snus) users

Abstract

This study confirms the reliability of adolescents' self reported tobacco use. In a context of low exposure to environmental tobacco smoke a cut off for saliva cotinine of 5 ng/ml reliably discriminated tobacco users from non-users. Irregular use of tobacco in this age group probably explains the discrepancy between self reported use and cotinine concentrations.