Long-term follow-up of a pilot project on smoking prevention with adolescents

Seventh graders (N = 353) in one junior high school received an experimental smoking prevention program aimed at teaching students to resist the social pressures to smoke cigarettes. Seventh graders (N = 217) in another school served as controls. Teams of high-school students trained in basic behavior change skills led seven classroom sessions of instruction in counter-arguing during the school year. Significant differences were found between groups in reported smoking at a 9-month posttest. Results were maintained at 21- and 33-month follow-ups.