[Prevention of cigarette smoking in school. A prospective controlled study]

752 schoolchildren, mean age 12.7 years, were asked by multiple-choice questionnaire about their smoking experience. After this, eight educational lessons were given in seven of the schools ("intervention schools") to reinforce non-smoking. In six control schools no activities were performed. After 2.3 years, 579 schoolchildren (301 males and 278 females, mean age 15.0 years) again filled in a similar questionnaire. In the control schools 12.4% of children had begun to smoke, (greater than 1 cigarette per month), but only 7.4% in the intervention group (P less than 0.06). Daily cigarette smoking had been taken up by 8.4% in the control schools, but by only 4% in the intervention schools (P less than 0.04). 9.9% of children in the control schools and 3.8% in the intervention schools had smoked during the 24 hours before the questionnaire was filled in (P less than 0.004). The data indicate that an eight-hour course of instruction with reinforcement of non-smoking can lastingly influence smoking behaviour of juveniles.