Development and Importance of Establishing Agreed Upon SMART Goals for Tobacco Use Cessation Among Teenagers and the Youth

Promoting cessation of tobacco use among youths aligns with the Healthy People 2030 goal of reducing illness, disability, and death related to tobacco use and second-hand smoke. Developing agreed-upon goals with the youth is important as it helps identify the knowledge gaps on tobacco use and what needs to be done to improve population knowledge and support use cessation. After consulting with the youth, these four goals have been agreed upon:

Identification of specific contributing factors to tobacco use among youth

Development of a 6-month cessation period

Identification of barriers to quitting and triggers to tobacco use

Engagement in community-wide awareness drive against tobacco use

Conclusion

The prevalence of tobacco use among US youth is expected to rise in the coming years, further creating pressure on the public health systems. Health promotion plans with agreed-upon goals with the youth can be an evidence-based intervention to provide education on the dangers of tobacco use and support and promote tobacco use cessation across the US.

References

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CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). (2022). Youth and Tobacco Use | Smoking and Tobacco Use. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/tobacco_use/index.htm

Gaiha, S. M., Cheng, J., & Halpern-Felsher, B. (2020). Association between Youth Smoking, Electronic Cigarette Use, and COVID-19. Journal of Adolescent Health, 67(4), 519–523. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JADOHEALTH.2020.07.002