Youth Prevention

Research

The impact of school tobacco policies on student smoking in Washington State, United States and Victoria, Australia
A new study shows that in schools with strictly enforced nonsmoking policies, students perceive lower rates of smoking on school grounds among their peers. Data from 3,446 students enrolled in the 2003 International Youth Development Study (IYDS), which examines adolescent substance use patterns in Washington State, USA and Victoria, Australia, were used to determine associations between school policy components and perceptions of peer smoking. The results indicate that strictly enforced policies were associated with more than a two-fold reduction in the odds of perceptions of peer smoking. While the type of policy and punishments had no impact on smoking outcomes, the authors note that the impact on the perception of peer smoking could be important, as students are often influenced by their peers. Read the full study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Point-of-sale advertising major cause of teen smoking, study shows
Researchers at Stanford University have discovered that teens exposed to cigarette advertising at retail outlets have significantly higher odds of beginning to smoke. A survey of 1,681 never-smoking youth aged 11-14 was used to assess frequency of visits to types of stores that contain the most cigarette advertising. Follow-up surveys were conducted at twelve and thirty months to determine if the students tried smoking during that time period. The analysis showed that after 12 months, compared to those with the lowest store visit frequency, the odds of smoking initiation were 64% higher for those who reported moderate visiting frequency and 2.58 times higher among those with high visiting frequency. Point-of-sale advertising represented 90% of the tobacco industry’s $12.5 billion marketing budget in 2006, and the researchers suggest that limits on this type of advertising could prevent many adolescents from becoming smokers. Click here to read more, or read the study abstract, published in Pediatrics.

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Reports

MMWR: Cigarette use among high school students, 1991-2009
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) detailing trends in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among American high school students from 1991 to 2009. Data from the biannual national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS) were used to calculate the prevalence of three measures: ever smoked cigarettes, current cigarette use, and current frequent cigarette use. The prevalence of all three measures began to decrease in the late 1990s, with the rate of decline slowing from 2003-2009. The CDC suggests that in order to restore the former rates of progress, the advertising, promotion, and availability of tobacco should be reduced and comprehensive tobacco control programs should be implemented. Read the full report, or read a statement from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids calling for the use of proven strategies to discourage youth tobacco use.

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International

Schools to snuff out cigs (China)
China has implemented a nationwide ban on smoking in schools as part of a joint push for tobacco-free schools by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. While not technically a law, the policy will be considered a criterion for educational institutes, and will require school administrators to develop specific rules and enforcement policies. The standards apply to all primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, after-school programs, and indoor areas of colleges and universities. Teachers and students will also be rewarded for encouraging others to quit and efforts to control smoking. Read more here.

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