How to: Stop Smoking Program for Youth

Nicotine is a drug in tobacco products that causes addiction. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking accounts for 443,000 deaths per year in the United States. More than 80 percent of adult smokers began smoking before the age of 18. Each day in America 3,450 young people between the ages 12 and 17 smoke their first cigarette, while 850 youth become daily cigarette smokers. Although quitting smoking is difficult and may require repeated attempts, there are effective treatments. Smoking cessation can help reduce the health effects of tobacco use.

Instructions

Preparation

• 1

  Plan the program. Determine the length of time, location, what you will cover and whether you will require youth to get permission to participate. Parents may not know that their children are smoking and parental permission may deter kids from participating.

• 2

  Research funding sources. Starting a smoking cessation program can be expensive. Check to see if there are government or private grants that can assist in funding a program.

• 3

  Advertise and promote the program. Use radio or fliers to contact youth. Make sure to advertise in places where adolescents frequent. If promoting at schools, you may need to get permission first.

Program Basics

• 4

  Encourage participants to introduce themselves. Introductions help create a comfortable atmosphere and may provide an opportunity to create a buddy system so kids can work together to stop smoking.

• 5

  Ask youth to write down how or the reasons why they began smoking. Understanding the factors that prompt kids to smoke can assist in finding solutions to help them quit. Participants can share their experience with the group or in a personal session with a counselor.

• 6

  Talk about addiction. Discuss the various chemicals found in tobacco and the symptoms of addiction. Help kids realize they are addicted to smoking by calculating the expenses associated with their habit. Demonstrate how money spent on cigarettes can be used for other activities.

• 7

  Discuss the health effects of smoking. Although some effects like cancer, coronary heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can occur later in life, young smokers can experience bad breath and stained teeth, reduced energy, poor skin and acne. Use videos or documentaries to show adolescents the health effects of smoking or invite a speaker who suffers from smoking-related diseases to speak to participants.

• 8

  Talk about smoking cessation options. Inform youth of behavioral cessation therapies and prescription or over-the-counter products that help with smoking cessation. You can also use role-playing to teach kids how to say no.

• 9

  Ask adolescents to establish short-term and long-term goals. Encourage them to write down the reasons they want to stop smoking, what treatment methods they would like to use and have them set a quit date.

• 10

  Follow-up and provide support for participants. Remind youth that it is okay to slip up and help them identify what went wrong and how to correct the problem. Celebrate or acknowledge any positive progress toward quitting smoking.