quit because...

Susi Farnworth

Head of Youth Services, QUIT®

Quit Because

Quit Because is the youth service at QUIT®, the charity that helps people quit smoking.

We help young people of all ages make informed choices about tobacco use and provide support and advice to those who want to stop smoking.

Quit Because has worked with more than one million young people between the ages of 8 and 18!

• Our work

• Our approach

• Two examples from our programme - presentations and follow-up sessions: content; evidence; impact; challenges

• Q and A

• Scenario exercise

Presentation summary

• Prevention

• Cessation

• Resources

• Peer Led Approaches

• Training and Capacity Building

Our work

• Informed Choice

• Fun

• Engaging

• Interactive

• Honest

• Non-judgmental

Our approach

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Aim to educate young people about:

• effects of tobacco on health, including lung health;• effects of tobacco on looks;• addiction and the addictive nature of tobacco;• the law in relation to smoking;• financial cost of smoking;• the tobacco industry;• norms;• ingredients in tobacco;• passive smoking• ethical and environmental issues associated with

Presentations

Presentations: Evidence• Health risk information – changes attitudes and

reduces intentions to smoke (Pechmann et al 2003)

• Anti Tobacco Industry – Truth Campaign (Niederdeppe)

• Social norms – encourage committed smokers to consider smoking behaviour and reinforces awareness of dangers in less committed smokers

• Passive smoking

• Ethical and environmental issues

Population differences

Gender• Girls – effects on looks stronger influence.• Boys – effects on health – stronger influence.

Age• Older young people – adult approaches effective;

make information less explicit; emphasise informed choice.

Presentations: Impact

Young people’s knowledge increased as a result of the presentation:

Based on the feedback from 300 year 8 pupils

Presentations: Impact

Young people’s knowledge increased as a result of the presentation:

Based on the feedback from 300 year 8 pupils

Presentations: Challenges

• Need for discussion

• Tailoring to target audience

• Anxiety inducing

• Young people minimalise own risk • Fear factor alone ineffective

Follow-up sessions

• Embedding Learning

• Enable young people to discuss and ask questions about smoking

• Provide skills to resist pressures to smoke

• Dispel myths about tobacco use

• Goal setting

• Can target those most at risk

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Follow-up: Evidence

• Refusal skills influence intention

• Self-efficacy

• Goal setting (intention)

Q and A

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