Evaluation of a School and Peer Based Anti-Smoking Program Targeting Southwest Louisiana Grade School Students

Abstract

Evidence suggests that anti-smoking programs that target school-aged children can be effective and that they can assist in reducing tobacco use among peers. This article presents an evaluation of a peer and school based mentoring program offered by Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana in conjunction with local elementary schools. The program matches high school mentors with elementary school children believed to be at a high risk for smoking, as well as for alcohol and drug abuse. The results of the evaluation were mixed. Teachers and mentors praised the program. Participation in the program was also associated with a reduction in peer use of alcohol and tobacco. However, there was no significant difference between experimental and control groups with respect to how the grade school subjects recognized the harm that alcohol can produce for children. Further, there was no significant difference in how experimental and control groups viewed the damage to children that could be done by a combination of alcohol, tobacco, and street drugs. The mixed results demonstrate the program's promise and its potential usefulness as a strategy to prevent teen smoking. At the same time, the results underscore the complex interplay of factors that may contribute to the success or failure of such innovative programs.