Anti-Smoking Program Targets Georgia Elementary Schools, Parents

Researchers in Georgia are introducing a new anti-smoking strategy that will target African Americans in the fourth-grade and their parents. Funded by a $2.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, researchers will target both urban and rural residents, as announced in a recent press release. The rate of smokers in Georgia has increased since 1991, with black youth having the highest rate of increase.

The effects of smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke are more pronounced in blacks than whites. Nicotine is metabolized and excreted much more rapidly in Caucasians than in African Americans. The longer nicotine remains in one's system, the greater the chances of it causing heath problems.

There are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes that can harm ones body. According to researchers, tobacco is one of the main causes of disability and premature death. Tobacco is also linked to lung, jaw, stomach, bladder cancers and high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.

Statistically, 84 black children who are between 10 to 13 years old begin smoking cigarettes every day in Georgia. Researchers will use strategies that combine classroom interventions along with interventions targeted to the home in an effort to stop the number of young people from smoking.

Initial studies have shown that by providing fourth-graders additional life skills training boosted their self-esteem and ability to refuse offers of unhealthy substances from peers. Children will receive life-training skills, including decision-making skills, refusal skills, communication skills, and assertiveness training.

The parents of these children will also be involved receive the same training. Additionally, parents will be given assistance to help them stop smoking, and nicotine patches to aid them in their quest.

One of the primary goals of this study is to try to stop children from ever taking up the smoking habit. Nearly all smokers, 90 percent, begin smoking while they are in high school. If children can make it through high school without smoking, there is a larger chance that they will never smoke in their lives.

"Every child at some point in his/her life, is given the opportunity to start smoking. Study after study has been done on kids in the ninth and 10th grades, asking if they could quit and they all say they could easily quit before graduation if they want. But you go back and survey them and they can't quit. Quitting smoking is incredibly difficult; the average person tries five times before they are successful. Our goal is that children never start and that parents role model this expectation," said Dr. Tingen.

This study will involve 350 students and their parents in 16 different elementary schools. The schools are located in rural Jefferson County, and in Augusta, Georgia. A product of nicotine that is easy to measure in the saliva, cotinine, will be used to measure the success of this program. The level of cotinine indicates whether you smoke or if you are exposed to second-hand smoke.

Source:
https://my.mcg.edu/portal/page/portal/News/archive/2007/3EBC33EC110B41B7E0440003BAD149FF