A group discussion and decision technique was used to change adolescent girls' smoking behaviour. Girls in experimental groups exposed to discussion reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked per day whereas girls in a control group did not. The former also shifted their attitudes, becoming more negative toward smoking and more aware of their susceptibility to tobacco-related illness than girls in the control group. The findings demonstrate the importance of peer-group influence on smoking as well as showing the predictive power of a health belief model.
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