Smoking preventive activities among schoolchildren in Lithuania

Abstract

The National Schoolchildren Smoking Prevention Programme in Lithuanian schools was carried out from 1992 till 1994. Preventive measures were initiated with grade 1 students. It was planned to cover with preventive measures each year a higher grade. In the frame of the National Schoolchildren Smoking Prevention Programme in 1992 a baseline survey of random sample of Lithuanian schools was accomplished: the data showed that 50 percent of graduate boys and 32 percent of girls were smokers. In 1992 34,000 first grade schoolchildren were covered by preventive measures which have been fulfilled by 1,909 teachers. In 1993 the preventive work has been carried out by more than 3,000 teachers and nurses. In 1994 preventive measures were implemented almost in all Lithuanian primary schools for 154,066 lst through 3rd grade schoolchildren Since 1995 the Program continued only in Kaunas due to lack of finances. 500 Kaunas teachers used colouring booklets in smoking preventive lessons with 10,700 lst through 3rd grade schoolchildren. 224 teachers were tought role-play to resist social pressure to smoke and applied the method for 4,545 4th grade schoolchildren. A separate programme, module the Smoking Prevention Subprogramme of the Project for Health Promoting Schools was initiated in 1993 and included all pupils from 18 participating schools from the first to the twelth grade. The Subprogramme is being implemented applying preventive methods in all 12 grades each year. The large scale nation-wide program proved to be effective but to maintain the adequate level of antismoking activities continued financing is needed.