Creating a culture for positive behavior change among teens who smoke using the American Lung Association Program Not On Tobacco

A quarter of the nation's teens smoke and data shows this number holding steady. To change youth smoking statistics communities must complement prevention efforts by investing in youth cessation. Successful cessation interventions include effective cessation programming and comprehensive policy efforts in the home, school, and community that creates an environment supporting positive behavior change. The American Lung Association in Colorado has implemented Not On Tobacco (N-O-T) youth smoking cessation program since 2001 providing training, technical assistance, and resources to organizations serving youth. The N-O-T program can be part of a comprehensive tobacco control program including adult cessation, smoke-free homes, workplaces, tobacco-free schools, and youth access policies. ALAC examines its role in a multi-dimensional effort to create a culture within families, schools, and communities that supports smoke-free lives. 82 percent of teens who participate in Colorado's N-O-T program quit smoking completely or reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke. The N-O-T Program success can be viewed within a larger cultural context. Many N-O-T participants indicate they have friends or family members who smoke, and list this as a significant obstacle in their attempts to quit smoking and to stay quit. Some schools struggle to find ways to follow the statewide tobacco free schools law. Colorado tobacco retailers do not hold a license, challenging enforcement of no-sales-to-minors laws and few local policies limit access to tobacco products or advertising. The impact of these environmental factors must be included in efforts to successfully support teens quitting smoking.