Statement of Need

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking related diseases account for approximately 430,000 American deaths annually...that’s more than alcohol, motor vehicle accidents, suicide, homicide, AIDS, and illegal drugs combined in an average year. Tobacco leads to for the death of nearly 600 Alaskans every year and more than 19,000 Alaskans under the age of 18 alive today will die from tobacco-related illness. Why do people continue to start smoking in the face of these daunting statistics?

Generally, adults don't start smoking, our children do. Over 80 percent of smokers started smoking before the age of 19, and the average age is 14 and - a - half years old. Although Alaska has recently been successful in reducing youth tobacco use overall, from 36.5 percent in 1995 to 19.2 percent in 2003, a great disparity remains unchanged between Alaska Native youth and their non-Native counterparts. Forty percent of Alaska Native boys and 49 percent of Alaska Native girls are currently smoking compared to 13 percent non-Native boys and 11.4 percent of non-Native girls. (2003 YRBS)

Helping Alaska's Teens Break their Addiction to Tobacco

The American Lung Association's Not on Tobacco (N-O-T) program is a state-of-the-art voluntary program specifically designed for teenagers who want to quit smoking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that schools provide programs to help students stop using tobacco. The N-O-T program meets the CDC's Guidelines for School health Programs and is the only smoking cessation program to have been named a Model Program by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Providing N-O-T to students is a proactive way to sustain long-term health needs and to support a school's tobacco-free policy. N-O-T is a research-based program designed specifically for adolescents. It provides a comprehensive curriculum that is interactive and user-friendly, with sensitivity to gender differences.

Direct Benefits to Schools and Community Groups

• N-O-T helps schools and other institutions achieve their goal of being tobacco-free.
• N-O-T improves the quality of life and protects the health of all students by reducing exposure to secondhand smoke.
• N-O-T can fulfill school health curriculum requirements.
• N-O-T improves students' other health behaviors, leading to improved self-esteem, and enhanced attendance and performance.
  

What is N-O-T

Not on Tobacco was developed by researchers at West Virginia University in collaboration with the American Lung Association.

N-O-T offers specific help with tough problems like nicotine withdrawal and how to prevent relapse. N-O-T also deals with issues that matter to teens, like weight control after quitting, cigarette breath, and how to cope with peer pressure. Since females and males usually have different reasons for smoking, quitting, and relapsing, the program provides specific resources tailored for boys and girls.

The N-O-T program does more than just teach teens how to stop smoking successfully, it uses a life skills management approach so students learn how to reduce stress, make better decisions, and communicate more effectively. This is especially critical for teens at high risk. N-O-T helps them in many aspects of life, as well as contributing to the smooth functioning of the overall school environment.

Measuring Success

Repeated evaluations show similar results from participants:

• 27% were smoke-free six months after finishing the program.
• 85% believed N-O-T helped them positively alter their smoking behavior.
• 80% made improvements in managing stress, exercising, making friends, eating better, getting better grades and overall attitude and motivation.

In 2007, the Anchorage SAVE program had an initial 52% quit rate and a 42% reduction rate.

How It Works

N-O-T's core curriculum for schools and community groups consists of ten 45-minute sessions and four optional booster sessions designed to provide continuing support and schools have the option of conducting separate sessions for boys and girls. In order to maintain the supportive atmosphere needed to help smokers quit, participation in N-O-T is completely voluntary and the program cannot be used for punitive purposes.

N-O-T is effective because it is not didactic and a variety of activities were developed to accommodate different learning styles. The goal is not to "teach" the students, but encourage active participation through small group discussion, hands-on activities, and journaling.

• Myths and realities about smoking
• Understanding addiction
• Health and social impacts on mind and body
• Sharing the quitting experience
• Avoiding risky situations and relapse
• health ways to manage stress
• Confronting pressure from friends and family
• Understanding tobacco advertising
• Staying committed to quitting