Effects of thirty-four adolescent tobacco use cessation and prevention trials on regular users of tobacco products

Abstract

Since 1991, adolescent tobacco use rates have increased while adult use has steadily decreased. The failure of adolescent tobacco use cessation and prevention programs to reduce this overall smoking rate indicates that research must be advanced in this area. As a start, the current status of cessation and prevention research that targets adolescent regular tobacco users should be stated. This paper contributes to that goal by reviewing the last two and a half decades of research in this area. A total of 34 programs, equally divided between cessation and prevention (targeting regular tobacco users), are presented and relevant data are provided for each. Among the cessation studies, an emphasis of programming on immediate consequences of use, and instruction in coping strategies, may have led to relatively successful programs. Prevention studies arguably may have achieved lower success rates but were applied to a larger sample with a longer follow-up period. Despite showing some success, it is apparent that the scientific status of cessation research is less refined than prevention research. More research is needed to define the most successful approaches for cessation of adolescent tobacco use.