Intervention effects on youth tobacco use in the community intervention trial (COMMIT)

Abstract

The Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation (COMMIT) was an intervention trial funded by the National Cancer Institute to evaluate the effects of a multi-component, community based smoking control intervention on cessation in adult smokers.1,2 The primary (adult) outcomes of this trial have been published elsewhere.3,4 In this letter we test the hypothesis that a comprehensive, community based intervention aimed at adult smokers would have an ancillary impact on the prevalence of youth smoking. The COMMIT intervention5 included youth oriented activities directed toward four principle areas: school based education programmes, smoking policies in schools, legislative activities related to youth smoking, and participation by students and teachers in other COMMIT activities. The evaluation …