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School anti-smoking project 'a failure'

BBC Online

Thursday 21 Dec 2000


Subject: School anti-smoking project 'a failure'
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 15:30:21 +0000 (UTC)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1080000/1080554.stm

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Researchers who conducted the biggest anti-smoking
programme ever carried out in American schools say
their project has been a failure.

They say teaching children about the dangers of
smoking has not reduced the number of those taking
up the habit, and suggest a complete rethink is
needed about how to warn youngsters of the dangers
of tobacco.

The government-funded study was carried out over 15
years in Washington State in the north west of the
United States. More than 8,000 children in 40 districts
were involved.

As they progressed through their school careers,
children were given lessons about the medical dangers
of smoking, peer pressure to take up the habit and the
power of tobacco advertising.

No effect

However researchers found that about the same
percentage of youngsters took up smoking, regardless
of whether they had taken part in the educational
programme or not.

Arthur Peterson from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Centre in Seattle says the findings prove
that school-based anti-smoking programmes don't
work.

He suggests further research is urgently needed to
find the best way to get the anti-smoking message
through to youngsters.

But this may leave health researchers with the
dilemma as to what other possible approaches they
can take

 

 

 

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