Posted on January 18, 2001 at 10:57 a.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has received a three-year, $574,000 grant from the American Legacy Foundation to evaluate a youth smoking cessation program in Alabama high schools. The program, Not On Tobacco (NOT), is an educational program designed by the American Lung Association to help teens quit smoking.
“Tobacco use among adolescents is a serious problem, especially in Alabama, where the number of teen smokers far exceeds the national average,” says Connie Kohler, Dr.P.H., assistant professor of public health in the department of health behavior at UAB. “The health risks are greater for teens because their lungs are not fully developed and are more susceptible to damage.”
Researchers will evaluate the program based on the number of students who quit or reduce smoking. They also will look at factors, such as how quitting affects such things as the attitudes, confidence and stress levels of students. “There is some evidence that teen smokers have a higher rate of depression,” says Kohler. “We will look at that too.”
UAB and the American Lung Association of Alabama (ALAA) will work together to target 30 schools per year for participation in the program. “The schools, located throughout the state, will represent urban and rural, large and small schools,” says Kohler. “The participants will include students sixteen years old and over.”
In addition to NOT, a voluntary program for students, ALAA also will assist schools participating in the program to establish an Alternative To Suspension (ATS) program. “An option for students who face suspension as a result of tobacco-related violations, ATS has worked well in schools that have adopted it.”
The grant is part of a national program to gain a better understanding of the effectiveness of tobacco control measures in place in local communities throughout the U.S. Overall, the foundation expects to fund $6 million in projects over the next three years. The foundation's aim is to identify programs that can be disseminated to other communities to help eliminate tobacco use.
Nine research centers were selected to receive funding this year. The program is being administered in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is responsible for the allocation of project funds and monitoring the progress of projects.
The American Legacy Foundation is a national, public health foundation headquartered in Washington, D.C. It collaborates with organizations interested in decreasing tobacco consumption, with emphasis on reducing youth tobacco use, decreasing exposure to second-hand smoke and increasing successful quit rates.
For more information, contact Kohler at (205) 934-6020.