Tobacco.org

Stopping smoking in schools 

Smoking rates among teenagers can be reduced by training influential students within secondary schools to promote anti-smoking messages in their everyday conversations with their friends and peer group. This is the conclusion of authors of an article in this week's edition of The Lancet.

Whether or not a young person smokes is strongly associated with their friends' smoking behaviour. Peer pressure is often used to explain this finding, although evidence suggests that peer selection, whereby young people choose to associate with like-minded people engaging in similar behaviours, is also a cause. However, peer influence can be protective, leading to attempts to harness it to positive effect through peer education.

Professor Rona Campbell of the University of Bristol and Professor Laurence Moore of Cardiff University, and colleagues did the ASSIST (A Stop Smoking in Schools Trial) study in 59 schools across western England and Wales.

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