Effectiveness of student’s anti- smoking strategies

According to the new research, influence by peer pressure into smoking habits has more influence on kids in the middle school level compared to older students in high school. While the smoking behavior of their friends can have less influence for teens with time, the research found that the smoking behavior of high-school students is largely influenced by parents. As such, researchers suggested that there is a high likelihood for smoking intervention programs that focus more in peer pressure influence on kids to be more effective when used for students in junior high or middle than in high school. Additionally, parents are also essential in providing another effective strategy for anti- smoking among students.

Based on a past research that majored in social development, the researchers initially thought that friends could have a greater influence on smoking among high-school students unlike in junior school kids. However, the leader researchers said that they found a complete different story. As per their findings, friends influence was found to have a greater impact in junior school unlike in high school unlike previously thought. This was largely due to the fact that use of friend’s cigarette seems to have a much stronger influence among youths who are beginning to smoke in their young age. Use of cigarettes in high school has a high likelihood of implying a maintenance behavior rather than one, which results from peer influence.

How friends and parents influence teen smoking behavior

When undertaking this particular study, the team analyzed information collected from 1000 teenagers who were involved in Midwestern Prevention Project. This was the longest- drug use prevention, controlled trial to take place in US. Use of randomized control study was considered in the research as it is recognized as a research gold standard. Questioning of the students was initially done during their seventh grade at a time when they were aged 11 years. Reassessment was done after 6 months and then once per year until they reached 12th grade. The researchers asked participants if their parents and close friends smoked or not. Students were also to give information on number of cigarettes they smoked in the previous month. The researchers analyzed the influence of parents and friends on student’s smoking behavior and if this changed as they got older.

According to research findings, the smoking behavior among kids is significantly influenced by their parents’ and friends’ habits in both high school and middle school. However, friends to have a much stronger influence in the middle school. While the influence of parents seemed to decline in their last two years in high school, the influence from parents showed no changes between high school and middle school. The findings reported from this research were said to be very useful when used during development of anti- smoking programs for teens.