Youth Cessation

Up to 5,000 youth begin experimenting with cigarettes and approximately 3,000 youth move from experimentation to regular smoking every day in the United States.¹ One-third of these young smokers will become tobacco dependent.² Over half of those adolescents who smoke regularly want to stop smoking.³

While approximately 60% of adolescent smokers have attempted to stop smoking during the past year, less than 5% of those who quit were successful in maintaining their abstinence for more than 3 months.³ Below are a few cessation interventions with a focus on youth who are current, regular smokers. For information on prevention strategies with youth, please see our Prevention section.

Project EX

• Project EX is a school-based tobacco program designed to help reduce or aid in the cessation of tobacco use in high school youth.⁴
• Developed by Stephen Sussman, Ph.D.⁴
• Recognized by SAMHSA as a model program.⁴
• Recommended for ages 14 – 19 years.⁴
• Delivered in 8 sessions (each 40 – 45 minutes) over a 6-week period in a clinic setting; 2 sessions per week for the first 2 weeks, then 1 session per week for the remaining 4 weeks.⁵
• Project EX aims to provide:⁵
  • Accurate tobacco facts and risks.
  • Encouragement and motivation associated with tobacco cessation.
  • Relaxation techniques to aid in nicotine withdrawal.
  • Strengthen youth self-management skills.

TAP (Tobacco Awareness Group, Helping Teens Stop Using Tobacco)

• Adult-led voluntary youth cessation program with step-by-step guidance as teens set their individual goals for cessation.⁶
• Developed by Keith Pendell & based on the stages of change model which was developed by James Prochaska, Ph.D. and Carlo DiClemente, Ph.D.⁶
• Specific to teens in grades 7-12.⁷
• 8 sessions (each 40 – 60 minutes), typically once a week, with facilitators (school personnel, heath care provides, law enforcement officers, or other adults such as coaches or religious leaders).⁷
• Flexibility in program location-can take place in school, a youth center, health center, or place of worship.⁷
• TAP aims to:⁷
  • Increase knowledge related to effects of tobacco use.
  • Identify a variety of cessation methods and use an individualized approach.
  • Teach skills to avoid triggers and lead a healthier life.
  • Provide a supportive environment.

TEG (Tobacco Education Group, Intervening with Teen Tobacco Users)

• TEG is an involuntary youth educational program that is designed to motivate teens to quit who have violated school or community policies related to tobacco use (can be an alternative to suspension).⁸
• Also developed by Keith Pendell and is based on Prochaska & DiClemente's Transtheoretical Model.⁸
• Specific to teens in grades 7-12.⁸
• 8 sessions (each 40 – 60 minutes), typically once a week, with facilitators (school personnel, heath care provides, law enforcement officers, or other adults such as coaches or religious leaders).⁸
• Optional booster sessions:⁸
  • After school for 1 hour, Monday - Thursday, for 2 weeks.
  • After school for 2 hours, Monday – Thursday, for 1 week.
  • Two, 4-hour, Saturday morning "Breakfast Clubs" on the 2nd and 3rd Saturday each month.
  • Two, 4-hour, Friday evenings on the 2nd and 3rd Friday of each month.
  • Location is generally in a central place, such as a school or law enforcement center.⁸
• TEG aims to: ⁸
  • Provide educational information about tobacco use and addiction.
  • Motivate teens to move closer to ending tobacco use as well as make healthier life choices.

N-O-T Program (Not On Tobacco)

• N-O-T is a school based, voluntary youth cessation program designed to engage cessation or reduction of tobacco use, specifically cigarettes, in a gender-sensitive environment.⁹
• Developed by Kimberly Horn, Ed. D. and Geri Dino, Ph.D. of West Virginia University's Prevention Research Center in conjunction with American Lung Association.⁹
• Recommended for youth in grades 6 – 12.⁹
• Delivered in 10 sessions (50 minutes each) with 4 optional booster sessions; small same-gender groups(fewer than 12 people) with a gender-matched facilitator.⁹
• N-O-T aims to focus on tobacco cessation through behavior modification techniques so that participants will:⁹
• Set realistic goals and monitor themselves appropriately.
• Utilize positive social support providers.
• Develop healthier lifestyles and coping skills.
  

Helpful Links

Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids: The latest global, federal, and state initiatives on tobacco as well as local tobacco facts for each state. Youth advocacy is also highlighted in addition to numerous organizational partners.

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Youth Cessation Materials:
For providers: Youth Tobacco Cessation: A Guide for Making Informed Decisions (2004)
For youth, this booklet was developed by the Anne Arundel County Department of Health in Annapolis, Maryland brought to you by the CDC: "I Quit: What to do when you're sick of smoking, chewing, or dipping"

MedLine Plus: Smoking and Youth: This website provides the latest news, research, and statistics related to youth smoking.

Helping Young Smokers Quit: Identifying Best Practices for Tobacco Cessation.  "The Helping Young Smokers Quit initiative is a two-phase project that addresses the critical need to disseminate effective, developmentally appropriate cessation programs for adolescent smokers."  HYSQ offers free e-bulletins for program administrators, tobacco control advocates, and tobacco researchers. 

Youth Tobacco Cessation Collaborative: "YTCC was formed in 1998 to address the gap in knowledge about what cessation strategies are most effective in assisting youth to quit smoking. Collaborative members represent major organizations that fund research, program, and policy initiatives related to controlling youth tobacco use."