[Considering and tackling tobacco smoking in the context of adolescent development]. / Tabak-Konsum im Kontext adoleszenter Entwicklung - was wir dagegen tun können und sollen.

The prevalence of smoking among young people is still on a high level. Many adolescents are incessantly attracted by advertising and other messages promising a fashionable, young and independent lifestyle with cigarettes as imperative symbols. Those adolescents suffering from cognitive, mental or social problems or being genetically more vulnerable have the greatest risk to misuse nicotine and to become addicted for many years. Unfortunately, being diagnosed with asthma or diabetes does not deter adolescents from smoking, thus increasing the burden of their chronic disease. Of similar concern is the considerable number of smoking young people at the reproductive age. In the last few years, only modest progress has been observed in the development of programmes, which are suited to diminish the rate of young smokers. There is a lack of effective strategies that could help them to get motivated and to stop smoking. Primary care physicians are in an unique position to contribute to adolescent smoking cessation. This article provides information to physicians on how to best accomplish this task. In order to reach sustainable changes in adolescent smoking behaviour, rigorous political steps are necessary which target on diminishing the social acceptance and attractiveness of smoking in general and on the reduction of the number of adult smokers, rather than exclusively focussing on adolescent smoking. This policy has to be supplemented with comprehensive steps to improve education and future life perspectives of adolescents.

[Development, implementation and evaluation of a program for the cessation of smoking for adolescents and young adult smokers]. / Entwicklung, Implementation und Evaluation eines Programms zur Entwöhnung vom Rauchen für jugendliche und junge erwachsene Raucher.

AIM: Assessment of the smoking cessation programme "Just be smoke free". METHOD: Follow-up data assessment of the participants who registered for the programme between April 2002 and March 2003. INTERVENTION: "Just be smoke free" is a smoking cessation programme targeting adolescents and young adults. Target groups are not only smokers, but also non- and ex-smokers. Moreover the project takes into account the different stages smokers undergo with regard to their motivation to stop smoking. Smokers who are not prepared to quit smoking are offered an individualised "smoker's profile" in order to sensitise them to their smoking behaviour, motives and risk situations. Smokers who are prepared to give up, are provided with a self-help cessation manual. As an incentive, on four occasions per year, participants can win cash prizes of up to 1,000 Euro. RESULTS: From April 2002 to March 2003, 1,417 smokers registered for the programme, of which 1,265 wanted to quit and 152 were interested in a "smoker's profile". The mean age of the participants was 21.5 years and 56.7 % were female. In addition, 2,132 used the internet page for the programme. 408 smokers took part in the follow-up measurement (retention rate 32.3 %). Of these, 46.1 % (N = 188) reported to have ceased to smoke. In a projected analysis considering those who did not take part in the follow-up measurement as smokers - the quit rate was 14.9 %. CONCLUSIONS: A large number of smoking adolescents and young adults were covered by the programme. The quit rate can be considered as good, also in comparison to international smoking cessation studies.