With the horrific health consequences of primary and secondhand
smoking well-established, you would think more people would
get the hint and take up healthier habits. But choosing not
to smoke, or quitting once you've started isn't always as
easy as it sounds. All too often, the cause of a lifetime
of adult smoking is caused by peer pressure as a youth.
that same peer pressure may also help steer people away from
smoking at an early age. In a study supported by the Arizona
Department of Health Services, Tobacco Education and Prevention
Program, 19 schools completed the "Champs Have and Model Positive
Peer Skills" (CHAMPS) program, utilizing educators and community
representatives administering activities as part of an awareness
campaign. Preferred program organizers consisted of those
thought to be highly influential on teens - their peers.
At the beginning and end of the school year, 1,412 students
at grades 5, 6 and 7 were surveyed, then compared with a group
from six schools that had not been exposed to the "pressure."
In the schools that participated in the prevention program,
the percentage of students who said they would smoke a cigarette
if offered by a friend increased minimally: from 1.3 percent
to 2 percent. By comparison, the percentage of students who
said they would smoke a cigarette increased from .06 percent
to 4.6 percent in schools not involved in the in program.
If you're a current smoker, talk to your doctor about practical
ways to kick your habit for good. And if you have children,
let them know about the profound dangers of smoking, and find
out if their school has a prevention program in place. If
not, you may want to suggest they develop one.
Sciacca J, Eng H, Mahrt J, et al. The Arizona CHAMPS Peer
Project for Tobacco Use Prevention: effects on tobacco use,
intentions to use, and knowledge. American Journal of Health
Education September/October 2003.
For more information on the dangers of smoking, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/general/smoking/index.html.