Adolescents conquering tobacco: An adolescent tobacco education and cessation program

The goal of the Maricopa County Tobacco Use Prevention Program Adolescent Program is to help adolescent tobacco users become non-users by moving teens along the stages of change and gives them the tools to successfully quit using tobacco. The population served by this program includes “at risk” youth in grades 7-12 including those in the department of corrections and those attending high prevalence alternative and charter high schools. The program utilizes handouts, videos, games and visual aids to educate youth on the health risks of tobacco use and help them develop the skills necessary to stop using tobacco. Students enter the program through teacher, court, or counselor referrals, detention programming, or voluntarily. The program is taught over a six-session period, but can be modified to fit the needs of the host organization. Within eight months of implementation, 23 programs were conducted and over 250 students were reached. Results show that after the class, 33.2% of participants reported they had quit, 20.2% reported plans to quit completely in the near future, 13% reported plans to quit eventually, and 14% reported they had decreased their tobacco use. Additionally, participants demonstrated a statistically significant increase in their knowledge of the health risks of tobacco use, as well as learning how realistically difficult quitting is compared to their belief prior to the course. This program is needed because many students in the “at risk” group are current tobacco users and there are very few resources for these teens regarding tobacco use.