Schools Help Curb Teen Smoking

Strong school smoking-prevention programs and high cigarette prices can reduce smoking among high school students, according to a new study.

The study included more than 24,000 students in grades 10 and 11 at 51 high schools in Canada. Researchers looked at the schools' smoking policies and prevention and quitting programs, along with community factors such as the price of cigarettes.

Rates of student smoking were lower at schools that had strong tobacco-prevention programs and had higher cigarettes prices in stores near the school. No other factors, including non-smoking policies, were associated with student smoking rates.

The study also found that schools in communities with a higher proportion of immigrants and with higher education levels also had lower rates of student smoking.

The study appears online Dec. 13 and in the February print issue of the American Journal of Public Health.