OBJECTIVE: To examine social risk factors that contribute to the development of the habit of smoking tobacco, and to investigate and analyze the factors that contribute to the development of addiction to tobacco smoke and allow optimal control of smoking and other addictions on the basis of evidence of possible conditional addictive predispositions. The hypothesis was that experience of smoking tobacco precedes the use of other addictive substances. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in 2006. Prevalence of smoking, drinking alcohol and using other addictive substances with specific indicators for the development of addictive behaviors in 3880 students of secondary school students and faculty in Rijeka and Zagreb were analyzed using a validated questionnaire. In particular, it determined the characteristics of cigarette smoking habit and other addictions among the population of future health professionals. RESULTS: Smokers were statistically significant daily users of sedatives, while non-smokers are more casual users, or have never tried a sedative. There is a significant difference between the frequency of smoking and consumption of marijuana / hashish. Nonsmokers often never tried marijuana / hashish, but smokers are more casual consumers. Exposure to tobacco smoke has been found to be significant predictor for cigarette smoking (P <0.001), drinking wine (P = 0.029) and taking marijuana and hashish (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: The hypothesis that people who smoke have a greater degree of experience with other drugs of abuse had been confirmed. Results suggest that people who are smokers have a greater degree of experience with other drugs. V 8 Special emphasis is given to determine the characteristics of smoking and other addictions among the population of future health care professionals