SMOKING CESSATION HELP FOR YOUNG-PEOPLE - THE PROCESS OBSERVED IN 2 CASE-STUDIES

Relatively little is known about smoking cessation in the under 18 year old age group. As a small pilot study, Packing it in?, a personalized smoking cessation package for this age group (Cancer Research Campaign/TACADE, 1988) was trialled in two English Colleges of Further Education. Sixteen year old students starting vocational courses were given the opportunity to choose to attend a course to help them stop smoking. Those who wanted to stop, but did not want to join the course, were given the package for individual use. In one college success was nil, whilst in the other a relatively high proportion of the students quit smoking successfully, either with the course or the package. Numerous administrative difficulties and the fluidity of the college population mean that the sample was too small for major conclusions to be drawn, but several factors were identified which appear to mediate success. These included awareness of the health and social issues, motivations such as a future career which demands a non-smoking status, a common goal, action by both tutors and students, small groups meeting regularly and within a short time span, feedback on progress such as is provided by a carbon monoxide monitor, and constant reinforcement and encouragement by the tutors.