Adolescent Smoking Cessation Program: Amity High School
Complete Project
Title:
Adolescent Smoking Cessation Program: Amity High School
Status:
Completed
Topic:
Program or Product Development;School-based;Smoking Cessation
Funding Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Connecticut Southwest Area Educational Council; Orange Drug and Alcohol Action Council (in Orange, CT)
Funding Period:
2000-2001 school year
Study Design:
Intervention Study
Purpose:
This adolescent smoking cessation program was developed in collaboration with the Amity Regional Senior High School to address the worsening problem of regular tobacco use by high school students. The program was evaluated to determine feasibility and impact of a smoking cessation program tailored specifically to the needs of high school students.
Further Study Details:
A total of 22 students participated in the first program. Feedback from focus groups conducted with students was used to develop a tailored smoking cessation program. The therapies offered as part of the program included stress management, educational sessions lead by a physician, weekly group meetings, and a smoking cessation program for parents; students also had the option of taking a medication (bupropion) to reduce the urge to smoke. Parental counseling was offered to help parents understand how household smoke affects their child’s ability to quit and to increase awareness of ways they could support their teenager’s efforts to quit.
Findings:
At the end of the 8-week program, 27% of the participants reported being smoke-free, while the average number of cigarettes smoked per day among students who were not able to quit decreased from 22 (per day) prior to the program to 9. Because of the initial program’s successes and the effective partnership with the Yale-Griffin PRC, Amity Regional Senior High School continued to offer this program to students on a yearly basis.
Eligibility:
High school students enrolled at Amity Regional Senior High School (Woodbridge,CT) with a desire to quit smoking.
Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center