Be Smart — Don’t Start - a competition of school classes to remain smoke free for six months
At a glance
Country of origin
- Germany
Be Smart — Don’t Start is a school-based smoking prevention programme intended to prevent the onset of smoking among adolescents. School classes are invited to take part in a competition to remain smoke free for six months. Classes that opt to take part sign a contract indicating their commitment and monitor their smoking on a weekly basis throughout. At the end of the competition, classes that have successfully remained smoke free are entered into a prize draw to win prizes. The competition is based on the self-control and self-management of the pupils.
Keywords
No dataLinks to this programme in other registries
Implementation Experiences
Read the experiences of people who have implemented this programme.Contact details
Dr Reiner Hanewinkel, PhD
Institute for Therapy and Health Research
Harmsstraße 2
24114 Kiel
Germany
Email: hanewinkel@ift-nord.de
Overview of results from the European studies
Studies overview
The programme has been evaluated in three cluster randomised controlled trials (RCTs) – two in Germany and one in the Netherlands – and three quasi-experimental studies – one in each of Finland, Germany and Switzerland.
The two German RCTs with young people aged approximately 11-15 years. One study followed participants for up to one year after the competition ended, and the second study assessed participants 18 months after the competition ended. They found no effect on self-reported smoking.
The Dutch RCT, which involved 10-14 year olds, found a statistically significant effect favouring the intervention on the number of self-reported smokers at post-test but not 12-months after the competition ended. There was no effect on self-efficacy or attitudes towards smoking.
The Finnish study, with 14 year olds, found a statistically significant effect favouring the intervention for self-reported onset of smoking (defined as smoking daily) at post-test but not one year later.
The German quasi-experimental study, involving children aged 11-14 years, found statistically significant effects favouring the intervention on self-reported prevalence of smoking at post-test and self-reported daily smoking at post-test and six months later.
The Swiss study involved children aged approximately 13 years and did not find any effect on smoking at post-test.
Countries where evaluated
- Finland,
- Germany,
- Netherlands,
- Switzerland
Characteristics
Protective factor(s) addressed
- Individual and peers: interaction with prosocial peers
- Individual and peers: refusal skills and decision making
- School and work: rewards and disincentives in school
Risk factor(s) addressed
- Community: laws and norms favourable to substance use and antisocial behaviour
- Individual and peers: favourable attitude towards alcohol/drug use
- Individual and peers: peers alcohol/drug use
Outcomes targeted
- Smoking (tobacco)
Description of programme
Be Smart — Don’t Start is a school-based smoking prevention programme intended to prevent the onset of smoking among adolescents. The intervention primarily consists of a competition for school classes to remain smoke free. Although the competition allows some flexibility in terms of the rules followed in a given country, so that details can be altered to suit the needs and circumstances of individual countries, a set of basic principles and rules remains the same:
- Participation is voluntary, that is, classes decide themselves to participate and to be non- smoking for a period of six months.
- Pupils sign a class contract and an individual contract promising not to smoke during the competition. The contracts serve to underline their commitment.
- The competition is based on the self-control and self-management of the pupils, that is, the responsibility for not smoking lies mainly with the pupils themselves: pupils monitor their smoking status and report regularly on whether they have smoked or not.
- Regular smoking is not accepted.
- Classes that refrain from smoking for six months are rewarded. They participate in a national prize draw, in which they can win a number of attractive prizes.
- Participation is free of charge for classes. In some countries, classes also receive lessons on smoking, how to quit, how to deal with peer pressure and the strategies of the tobacco industry.
In some countries, classes also receive lessons on smoking, how to quit, how to deal with peer pressure and the strategies of the tobacco industry.
Implementation Experiences
Main obstacles
With respect to individual professionals
Negative attitudes from people about rewarding behaviour which should be normal for adolescents as they are forbidden to smoke by law and negative attitudes towards the fact that the programme was for students starting from 4th grade (people thought this was too early to start and that children would start smoking because the programme would increase their curiosity, etc.).
With respect to organisational and economic context
- Schools were busy at the beginning of the school year, so they didn’t have time to apply for the programme by the deadline.
- Incorrect data were received from schools and local programme implementers.
- Teachers and local implementers tried to add participants during the competition period.
Participants who received no prize at the end of the competition were not happy.
How they overcame the obstacles
With respect to individual professionals
Informing the public about recent studies that show at what a young average age children try smoking for the first time in our country. Explaining that we don’t reward the behaviour, and that, rather, we support and encourage students to stay on the path of non-smoking.
With respect to organisational and economic context
- We changed the deadlines to give the schools more time to apply for the competition.
- There was constant follow-up with local implementers to keep the database of participating schools up to date and correct.
Instead of giving out a few big prizes, we divided the resources and awarded smaller prizes, so that more classes had a chance to win. This seemed more reasonable to participants and was more gratifying for them.
Lessons learnt
With respect to individual professionals
Information is the key: inform the parents about the programme, inform the media and provide information on the results.
With respect to organisational and economic context
- Clear instructions go a long way.
- You have to have local people who will help to manage the programme at the local level.
Incentives are important for schools and students.
Strengths
Many participants. Local activities in schools campaigning against smoking.
Weaknesses
No control over how many of the ‘non-smokers’ were really not smoking. Not knowing if all the classes that should have dropped out of the programme did so. No supporting activities.
Opportunities
To create different tasks for participants (e.g. a short video in which all the classes show the cool things they do instead of smoking).
Threats
Dishonest participants who win the award and then brag about it. Students who smoke might be bullied by other students because, thanks to them, they all had to drop out of the competition.
Recommendations
With respect to social context
Give enough information about the situation with regard to smoking in your country, and about how parents and teachers can act as role models and support the children when they participate in the programme.
Avoid situations where those who smoke are shamed or bullied by others. Work out a plan for those students who start smoking during the programme period: what should this student do (go to counselling, etc.), what should other students do, what should adults (teachers and parents) do, so that everybody understands that the purpose is to help students become and remain smoke-free, not to shame those who need help.
With respect to organisational and economic context
It is important for the children to show what they are doing during the programme period and also what they have done with the reward money. It is important to give feedback, to encourage everyone and to thank everyone for their support.
