[An intervention model for smoking prevention strategies]

Tobacco smoke represents the main cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in Western countries: in Italy, approximately 85.000 persons die each year because of smoke-related illnesses. Starting from the objectives defined by the 2001/2003 National Healthcare Plan, the Department of Prevention of the "Roma B" Local Health Unit elaborated a three-year project for the fight against tobacco smoke. The general objectives of the project are: to prevent young people from starting to smoke, to promote stop-smoking initiatives (with the involvement of General Practitioners) and to protect non-smokers from passive smoking (in the context of a smoke-free health facilities program). A special technical-scientific committee was set up to evaluate the effectiveness of the smoking prevention interventions.