15-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF SMOKING PREVENTION EFFECTS IN THE NORTH KARELIA YOUTH PROJECT

Objectives. This study evaluated the long-term effects of a school- an d community-based smoking prevention program in Finland. Methods. Four intervention schools from North Karelia and two control schools from another province were chosen for the evaluation. Students who received the intervention were taught to resist social pressures to smoke. The program began in 1978 with seventh-grade students and ran through 198 0, with a 15-year follow-up. In North Karelia, a community-based smoki ng cessation program for adults was also carried out. Results. Mean li fetime cigarette consumption was 22% lower among program subjects than among control subjects. Smoking and prevalence were lower up to the a ge of 21. Conclusions. Long-term smoking prevention effects can be ach ieved if a school-based program using a social influence model is comb ined with a community and mass media interventions.