Anti-Smoking School Programs Make a Difference, Smoking Causes Five Million Preventable Deaths Annually

Many may be uncertain of the benefits that anti-smoking programs provide in the school setting. However, recent information shows that for those who have never smoked, these programs do appear to make a difference at least one year after implementation.

According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking causes five million preventable deaths every year. Unfortunately, this number is predicted by health experts to rise to eight million by 2030. It's thought that many young smokers may start around the age 13 to 15, and with a dangerous habit ranging decades, health programs implemented in educational facilities may be able to sway youngsters against starting or help others stop.  

Researchers examined data from over 134 studies and in 25 countries, of which involved a total of 428,293 young people 5 to 8. Of these, 49 studies reported smoking behaviour in those who had never previously smoked. The researchers focused on this group because it offered the clearest indication of whether smoking interventions prevent smoking. Although there were no significant effects within the first year, in studies with longer follow up the number of smokers was significantly lower in the groups targeted by smoking interventions than in the control group. In 15 studies which reported on changes in smoking behaviour in a mixed group of never smokers, previous experimenters and quitters, there was no overall long term effect, but within the first year the number smoking was slightly lower in the control group.

"This review is important because there are no other comprehensive reviews of world literature on school-based smoking prevention programmes," said Julie McLellan, one of the authors of the review based at the Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford in Oxford, UK. "The main strength of the review is that it includes a large number of trials and participants. However, over half were from the US, so we need to see studies across all areas of the world, as well as further studies analysing the effects of interventions by gender."

Some of the programs implemented are not only aimed to educate, but help other students learn in a way so they can teach other young people about the dangers of smoking. And unfortunately, for some, the educational programs did not make such a difference. 

"We might expect booster sessions to reinforce the effects of the original programmes, but our review didn't find any evidence for this overall," said co-author Rafael Perera, also from the Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. "The exception was in studies focusing on general social competence and resistance training, which suggests that the way the curriculum is designed is more important than whether or not booster sessions are provided."