|
|
GLOBALinkTobacco A Non Smoking Generation halves smoking among school children in Sweden A study, made by the county council of Kronoberg in Sweden, shows that the school programme of the organization significantly lowers the tendence among school children to start smoking. Children who start smoking before the age of 15, run almost four times a higher risk of developing lungcancer as those who start after age 25. Consequently, all activities that delay the début of smoking are most valuable for the reason of health. Most important of course, is the work that helps young people never to start smoking. In that matter, the work of A Non Smoking Generation and its school informers shows a great effect, says Ingrid Edvardsson, nurse in the district of Kronoberg. Ingrid Edvardsson made this independent study together with her colleague, Professor Anders Håkansson. It has now been published in Läkartidningen, the highstanding Swedish medical journal. The study, who started in 1994, is based on inquiries among pupils in sixth grade. It extents all 2.179 pupils in 6th grade in the county of Kronoberg (reply frequence was 92.5 per cent of them, 2.015 pupils). The reason of the study was to find the answers of a number of questions. For example, how does the smoking habits among young people develop through the years? How do smoking habits and attitudes of parents effect the children that smokes? Proves the need of tobacco-prevention Four per cent of the school children called themselves smokers or ex-smokers in the inquiry. To prevent children to start smoking, school informers from A Non Smoking Generation were then invited to some of the classes. A school informer is a person in her/his twenties that has been trained in the tobacco issue. The relatively young age makes the informer seen on as a role model. In class, the informer talks about influence, respect, self-knowledge, pressure put on by others etc. The pupils are made to see that one often in life acts under the influence of somebody else. The classes visited by an informer from the organization, showed an unchanged level of smokers one year later. However, in the classes not visited by A Non Smoking Generation, the number of smokers in average was threefolded! This is the first evaluation of our school programme that's been made and published externally. Naturally, we have seen the positive effects of our school programme from other discussions and evaluations. But this study proves that our school project really fills an important need, says Gunilla Steinwall, Secretary General of A Non Smoking Generation. For further information please don‚t hesitate to contact
Short about A Non Smoking Generation and its school informers The importance of communication A Non Smoking Generation works with information and inspiration to make children and adolescents choose a life free from tobacco. The organization turns primarely to young people in age 11-16 through information, competitions, campaigns, events and activities to create public opinion. By communicating with the young, their attitude, knowledge and involvement in the tobacco-theme is strengthen. The one and only tobacco-organization A Non Smoking Generation is the only Swedish organization that exclusively work for young people never to start using tobacco. The organization is not affiliated to any political party or religious denomination. A Non Smoking Generation is a foundation and has accordingly no interest in proft. During 1997/98 30 persons work for the organization, 20 of them are school informers. The work is financed by contributions from industry, private people, local authorities, county councils and other organisationa and foundations. The school informers The school programme started in 1982. Since then hundreds of school informers have visited classes with 11-16 year-olds all around the country and discussed smoking. 50.000 to 100.000 pupils per year During the past few years, A Non Smoking Generation has meet 50.000-100.000 pupils per year, or than one million during the last 15 years. No other organization, regardless kind, meet as many school children as A Non Smoking Generation do every year. Main points of the school programme The four main points regarding the method with the school informers are:
|