Tobacco smoking rate is high (21%) among Romanian adolescents.
Aim
To assess youngsters attitudes and beliefs towards tobacco dependence, their compliance to smoking cessation interventions and success rate of a standard smoking cessation program.
Material and Method
231 subjects participated in the Adolescent Smoking Cessation (ASC) pilot program. Subjects were evaluated based on the ASC questionnaire, a validated set of questions about personal data, nicotine addiction profile, willingness to involve in ASC whether current smoker or not. Smoking status was validated by carbon monoxide determination in exhaled air. Participants were delivered 6 interactive ASC sessions about smoking hazards and methods to quit smoking. A final evaluation was done to assess program's impact and to reward quitters and reducers by prizes.
Results
Study group was made of 52.4% every day smokers, 10.4% at least once/week but not every day smokers, 6% less than once/week smokers, 23.4% never smokers and 7.8% ex-smokers. Abstinence rate was 12.3% in every day smokers and 16.6 % in at least once a week but not every day smokers. The program registered a high attendance rate/sessions as 85.2 % of subjects were present in all sessions. Also, significant changes occured in participants beliefs about addiction to tobacco, as evaluated by standard personal smoking and cessation beliefs questionnaire.
Conclusions
ASC was appreciated as an efficient program with 12.3% of daily smokers to quit smoking and its positive impact on personal nicotine addiction beliefs in 90 % of participants.
