School-based cessation programs – 1/19/07

Q: I have a school district that is looking for an effective school based cessation program they can implement.  They are looking for a youth oriented program versus the standard cessation program put out by ALA and others; they feel those are to adult oriented.  Do TCN members have any suggestions?

A:

  1. Alabama: Alabama used the American Lung Association’s Not On Tobacco program years ago, but didn't have too much success.  Connie Kohler, a researcher at the Univ. of AL at Birmingham (UAB) was funded by the American Legacy Foundation to determine the efficacy of the NOT program, so we had a fair number of schools implementing it. Her study must have been published by now, if you Google it. Kind of expensive and didn't get the kind of cessation rates they were hoping for.
     
  2. Colorado: The Colorado tobacco control program (STEPP) contracts with the American Lung Association of CO (ALAC) to oversee the grants process, training, technical assistance and evaluation for our school-based cessation initiative.  ALAC awards schools and trains facilitators to implement the Not On Tobacco program in over 120 schools across the state, serving more than 1,000 youth who smoke.  We have found the program to be geared toward high school-aged youth, and effective.  We support NOT as the only STEPP-funded group cessation program for adolescents.  We are also developing a web-based cessation program for youth and young adults.  The system is being beta-tested the week of January 22, 2007, and the hope and expectation is that it will be available on-line on February 1, 2007.
     
  3. Kentucky: In Kentucky, the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program partnered with other programs within the Department for Public Health (Physical Activity, Obesity Prevention/Nutrition and Asthma programs) and Coordinated School Health within the Department of Education to create a School Resource Guide. The PANTA Guide covers Physical Activity, Nutrition, Tobacco and Asthma best practices and research based curricula that can be presented within the school. Click to view the resource guide. Kentucky schools are mostly using use the TEG & TAP and NOT programs.
     
  4. New Jersey – The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey wrote the curriculum and coordinate the training for the state.  Please check our website www.tobaccoprogram.org and click on Youth Quit2Win.  This program was developed by a team of professionals who worked directly with teens for 18 years.  The program challenges teens not only to look at their tobacco use, but spike their anger at the industry for lying to them.  In addition, it provides life skills at each session.
     
  5. Ohio – The ALA has Not On Tobacco, the NOT program has been evaluated.  This is a voluntary program. There is a related alternative to suspension program which is not voluntary.
     
  6. Vermont – Vermont has had some very good success in implementing the ALA “Not on Tobacco” program.  I would highly recommend it.  In 2006, VT we had 4% of our youth smokers enter into a NOT program. Of those that started the program 77% of them completed the program.
     
  7. West Virginia – West Virginia uses the Not On Tobacco  (NOT) program developed by West Virginia University Prevention Research Center, with funds from ALA, and piloted in WV and FL.  I am slightly familiar with the duties of the adult facilitators in conducting this program and I don't think that role can be played by a teenager (planning, presentation, organizing, record-keeping, trouble-shooting, etc.).  I think it does require an adult.  I spoke with the person who coordinates the NOT facilitators in our state.  He says that he knows of two WV facilitators who involve youth as "mentor coaches". These kids have already gone through the NOT program (usually the previous year) and have successfully quit smoking, but they have gone back to the adult facilitator (usually a teacher at the school) and have asked if they can play a role in helping with the NOT program.  These kids help the facilitator in promoting the program, getting paperwork distributed/collected, help with expressing their experiences as a teen quitting tobacco.  While this "mentor coach" approach is rare, it opens up the possibilities of having something like what the inquiring state wants to do.  For more details, speak directly with Tony "Jose" Richards, who is the staff person at ALA of WV who coordinates ALA's portion of our NOT programs in WV.  He has direct contact with the adult facilitators.  He can be reached at:  Tony "Jose" Richards, American Lung Association of WV, (304) 342-6600.
     
  8. CDC/OSH – There are no programs to date that CDC considers effective. More evaluation and research are needed.  There are, however, several states that use different programs.  Some resources include:
    1. CDC Youth Cessation Guidance document
    2. "Helping YoungSmokers Quit-- identifying best practices for Tobacco Cessation" Web site at www.hysq.org.
    3. Youth Tobacco Cessation Collaborative Web site

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